


Corrupted Souls **ABANDONED**

by alicedragons



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Angst, Bad Puns, Blood and Injury, Depression, Drinking, Drug Use, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), Eventual Smut, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Angst, M/M, Making Out, Masturbation, Mystery, On Hiatus, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Slow Burn, Smoking, Soul Sex, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Undertale Genocide Route, Unrequited Love, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2018-11-14 00:34:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 61
Words: 193,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11196750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicedragons/pseuds/alicedragons
Summary: In an attempt to protect his brother, Underswap Papyrus tries to escape his universe - only to lead them into a far more dangerous world. Underfell.But Papyrus and Sans soon learn that their darker counterparts are more than just ruthless killers - everyone has a backstory, and the Underfell brothers aren't the only ones with secrets. How long can Papyrus keep the truth about their escape quiet? And how long before the past comes creeping back?-------------------------------------Part One - Trapped: Chapters 1-???Part Two - Unlocked: Chapters ???-???Part Three - Safe: Chapters ???-???-------------------------------------Just an Underswap and Underfell multiverse fic with a bit of skeleton smut thrown in!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to my first fic (✿◠‿◠)  
> This will be a plot-driven Spicyhoney fic, with a bit of Cherryberry as well. It will be set in the Underfell Universe, and for the sake of this fic, the Underswap bros will be called Sans and Papyrus, or occasionally Blue and Stretch, while the Underfell brothers will be Edge and Red. I would also like to point out that universe jumping and all those shenanigans are common knowledge to most of the characters, though this will be explained in a bit more detail in later chapters. Please also note, the tags may change as more chapters are added, and there will be smut later for all you sinners! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ  
> Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading <3

“Papy, will you please tell me what’s going on?”

Papyrus was tugging his younger sibling by his hand with a sense of urgency, uncharacteristic of the lazy skeleton.

“I don’t have time to explain, Sans,” Papyrus said, leading his brother down the stairs of their house and towards the front door.

“But Papy, it’s the middle of the night. Can’t this wait till morning?” Sans rubbed his sleepy eyes as Papyrus all but slammed the front door open, marching them outside and around the back of the house. 

“No Sans, there isn’t time, we have to go now.” Papyrus sounded afraid, something which bothered Sans. His brother was never afraid.

“But where are we going?” Sans asked. “Papy, please, you’re kind of scaring me.”

Papyrus came to a gradual stop, just outside the door at the back of their house. He turned to face his brother, crouching down and gently laying a hand on Sans’ cheek.  
“I’m sorry bro,” he said, “I don’t wanna scare you, it’ll all make sense soon, I promise.” He stared deeply at Sans, meeting his sparkling blue eye-lights with his golden-orange ones. Sans nodded, and Papyrus smiled reassuringly. Then, removing his hand from Sans’ cheek, he rose and withdrew a key from the pocket of his hoodie, turning it in the lock of their house’s back door.

“Wait…” Sans said, suddenly becoming aware of where they were heading, “why are we going to the basement?” Sans’ eye-lights suddenly lit up in realisation. “Are we using the Machine? Are we going to visit Sans and Papyrus? Am I finally going to get to see Undertale?” Sans struggled to contain his excitement as he followed Papyrus down the stairs towards the basement.

“Uh, yeah, we are going to Undertale,” Papyrus said, but there was a hint of worry in his voice.

“What’s wrong?” asked Sans, noticing his brother’s undertone. “Did something happen? Are they okay? Papyrus isn’t hurt is he? Or Sans?” Papyrus sensed his brother’s worry and shook his head.

“Nah bro, nothing like that. But we’re not exactly just dropping in to say hi… I’ll explain when we get there.” 

Sans huffed. He hated being kept in the dark, especially by his brother, whom he trusted with all his secrets. Papyrus suddenly seemed to remember his sense of urgency, because he took Sans by the hand once more and hurried them down the remainder of the stairs and into the basement. They approached the large Machine which stood at the back of the room. It contained a keypad with a series of digits and strange symbols, as well as a set of glass doors, behind which there seemed to be only darkness. Sans had seen this machine only on a few previous occasions, and seldom up this close. Papyrus began scrambling around the room, seemingly in search of something.

“What are you looking for?” Sans asked.

“Codes,” Papyrus mumbled absentmindedly, opening drawers and shuffling through papers.

Sans shuffled his feet as he waited for his brother. He turned to look at the Machine, which loomed over him. Sans studied the keypad, noting that the strange symbols looked familiar somehow, though he couldn’t quite seem to place them. He then turned his attention to the darkness behind the glass doors. He wasn’t sure why, but it almost seemed to draw him in, capturing his attention like some sort of invisible magnetic force. As Sans continued to stare into the endless blackness, he felt himself entranced, noting its strange intrigue. He took a step closer to the glass, eye-lights never leaving the darkness swirling behind it. He soon found himself pressed up against the glass until he couldn’t get any closer, his mind urging him to step forward, open the doors, step into the darkness—

“Sans?”

Sans jumped at the feeling of Papyrus’ hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his trance. He looked up at his brother, eyes wide.

“Heh, yeah, I wouldn’t stare at that thing too long if I were you, it has a way of messing with your mind.” Sans could only blink up at his brother, who was looking down at him with a small smile. “I, uh, found the codes,” said Papyrus, holding up a sheet of paper with a series of symbols matching those on the keypad of the Machine. The codes seemed to be written in specific sequences, alongside the names of what Sans presumed were different universes. He caught a glimpse of a couple of the names, including the one named 'Undertale', which had multiple pen marks and smudges of ink around it. While Sans had never been to the universe itself, he had met the Sans and Papyrus who lived there. His soul did an excited flip as Papyrus began punching in the numbers and symbols into the keypad. He was finally going to travel to another universe!

“Okay bro, you ready to do this?” Papyrus asked, looking at Sans. Sans nodded, still slightly at a loss for words at this entire situation.

Papyrus turned back to the keypad, carefully checking each digit he had entered off the sheet. He then reached down and flipped a small switch at the bottom of the Machine. There was a low humming noise, and it began to vibrate slowly. The vibrations gradually increased, until the whole room seemed to shake. Suddenly there was a bright white light, and Sans was forced to bring a hand up to cover his eyes, squeezing the sockets shut. Abruptly, the vibrating stopped altogether, and Sans opened his eyes. He stared in awe at the sight before him.

Where the dark emptiness had been before, now stood what could only be described as a swirling portal of magic. It strangely didn’t seem to emit any light into the room, but its brightness was almost blinding. Different shades of red, purple, and blue swirled within it, and it seemed to stretch on infinitely. Sans felt himself mesmerised by its beauty.

“Heh, impressed?”

Sans was broken out of his reverie by the sound of his brother’s voice. He looked up to see Papyrus smirking down at him, and suddenly noticed that his jaw had dropped.

“Wow, Papy! It’s just… wow.” Sans couldn’t find the words to describe his excitement and awe.

“Yeah, too bad we can’t stick around,” Papyrus said, taking his brother’s hand and opening the glass doors. “I could admire that expression on your face for hours.”

Sans glowered at his brother with indignation, a faint blush colouring his cheek bones, and, smirking slightly, Papyrus led them through the glass doors and into the endlessly swirling portal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the angst begin. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Papyrus stepped into the portal, hand closed around his brother’s, and felt the familiar lurch, and loss of orientation as they were pulled through the swirling space. There was a loud rushing sound all around them, and bright flashes of colour. The spinning sensation seemed to last a long time, much longer than it usually did, Papyrus noticed. Finally though, the sea of colours slowly began to morph into a scene, and Sans and Papyrus were thrown to the ground, hands still tightly latched onto each other.

As soon as they hit the ground, Papyrus noticed that something was wrong.

“Papy, we made it!” Sans squeaked, pulling his brother to his feet. “At least I think we did? This looks like Snowdin, doesn’t it? I mean it’s a bit different, but you said that the Undertale universe was slightly different to ours. Wow, that was such a rush! I can’t believe I actually travelled in the Machine at last! I never expected it to be so amazing! I mean, it was slightly disorienting, but wow! We should do that— Papy? What’s wrong?”

Amidst Sans’ ramblings, Papyrus had managed to discern two things.

One, this most definitely was not Undertale. He had felt it immediately upon their arrival. The air here was… heavy, and musty, and there was a dark, foreboding atmosphere around them.

And secondly, the moment they had landed, Papyrus had felt an all too familiar sharp jolt of pain across his ribs. A pain he had felt recently. Very recently. It was the pain of the human’s knife, slashing across his ribs, delivering the fatal blow that usually ended with a reset. In fact, it had ended with a reset, mere minutes before he had awoken Sans with the intention of taking them to the Undertale universe.

But why was he still injured? The timeline had been reset – he had been healed. His wound had been gone. It hadn’t been there moments before, he would have felt it. Why had it come back all of a sudden? This had never happened before.

Papyrus winced in agony and clutched his ribs, dropping to his knees in the snow. He could feel blood seeping through his hoodie and between his phalanges, dripping onto the white snow.

“Papy!” Sans cried, rushing over and catching his brother before he could collapse. “Papy, what’s happening? What’s all that red stuff? Is that… is that b-blood? Why are you bleeding? Papy? Papyrus, talk to me!”

Papyrus felt his limbs growing heavy, his body going limp in Sans’ arms, unable to support himself any longer. He could distantly hear his brother’s distressed cries, but sound was escaping him. His vision began to blur and his eye sockets dropped heavily.

The last thing Papyrus could recall before slipping into darkness was the feeling of his brother dragging him off the path and into the trees, and the sound of footsteps approaching.

 

****

 

Papyrus awoke with a start. He found himself gasping for air, as if he’d been holding his breath for a long time. He was lying on his back, something draped over him haphazardly. As his surroundings came into focus, he realised that he was lying on a sofa, which was tattered and grey, and the object covering him was a thin blanket. He glanced briefly around the room, which was almost bare save for a television and a single chair next to an end table in the corner. There was a flight of stairs leading upwards, and a door on the opposite end of the room. The room was very familiar, and yet strangely different. Papyrus suddenly realised where he was.

Panicked, he tried to sit up, only to be met with a sharp pain piercing his ribs. He slumped back down with a gasp.

“Heh, wouldn’t try that if I were you,” a voice said.

Papyrus jumped, only to wince again as the movement caused another ache to shoot through his ribs. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone standing near the door on the other side of the room who hadn’t been there moments before.

Papyrus turned ever so slightly, angling his body to face the figure, trying to ignore the piercing ache in his ribs.

“What—” the words caught in Papyrus’ mouth as he took in the figure before him.

It was Sans.

Or at least, it was some strange version of him. This Sans was slightly taller than his own brother, and had thicker bones, which were riddled with scars and cuts. His eye-lights were red, and his teeth had been sharpened into fangs, one of them gold. He wore a black jacket over a red shirt, along with black shorts and sneakers. Around his neck was a studded collar, which Papyrus found rather odd. Then again, he supposed everything about this skeleton was odd. His posture was slouched and his demeanour casual, hands shoved in his pockets as he observed Papyrus with a smirk.

“That’s quite the injury ya have there, sweetheart,” said the skeleton, his voice lazy but gruff. “Probably not a good idea to try and get up.”

Papyrus was still at a loss for words, and could only stare at the other skeleton, who continued to regard him with slight amusement.

“Name’s Sans,” said the rougher skeleton, “but you can call me Red. Guess it’ll make things less confusing, since that’s your brother’s name too.”

His brother!

Papyrus felt a fresh rush of panic run over him, and once again attempted to get up, only to be held down by a strong pair of hands.

“Nuh uh, what did I just say?” said Red, who was now standing next to the sofa, holding Papyrus down. “You’re gonna hurt yourself, pal.”

“Where is my brother?” Papyrus said, his voice coming out slightly raspy.

“Don’t worry, your bro’s fine,” said Red, still not removing his hands from Papyrus’ shoulders.

“Where is he?” Papyrus fought against Red’s grip, but to no avail. Red was too strong and Papyrus had very little strength at the moment. “Did you hurt him? I swear if you touched him I’ll—”

“Well, not much you can do right now is there, sweetheart?” said Red, his amused expression returning. “But trust me, we didn’t hurt the Blueberry, he’s actually in the kitchen right now.”

Papyrus still felt doubtful, and Red sighed.

“Look if it makes ya feel better, I can go get him now. I’m actually surprised he wasn’t here when you woke up, he wouldn’t leave your side for the first two days you were out.”

“Two days?” said Papyrus, startled. “I’ve been out for two days?”

“Eh, closer to five actually,” said Red, shrugging. “Look, doesn’t matter now, I’ll just get your bro, he’ll probably wanna see ya.” With that, Red turned and went through the far door at the end of the room, leaving Papyrus lying stunned on the couch. He’d been unconscious for five days? Alarm fluttered in his soul. Anything could have happened in that time. How did he even get here? How was he not dead? Surely the gash across his ribs should have killed him by now.

Papyrus suddenly realised something else. He had no idea what universe they were in. It certainly wasn’t Undertale, as he’d intended. No, this world was a lot darker and more dangerous. Papyrus had a horrible suspicion as to where they were, but his thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang, as the kitchen door was flung open, revealing his younger brother.

“Papy, you’re awake!” Sans cried, rushing over and all but smothering Papyrus with a tight hug, causing him to wince in pain. “Oh no, your ribs! I’m sorry!” Sans squeaked, withdrawing.

“It’s all good, bro,” Papyrus said, his voice still weak. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt?” He looked over Sans with concern.

“No Papy, don’t be silly, I’m fine!” Sans said.

“But Red… and… he didn’t hurt you did he? How did we get here?” Papyrus was struggling to get words out, still slightly panicked at their situation.

“Well, I mean he did try to, at first… But it was just a misunderstanding!” Sans added hurriedly, seeing the flash of orange magic within his brother’s eye-lights. “He found us in the forest outside of Snowdin, where we arrived. I hid at first because I didn’t know who he was, and… and you were hurt, really badly. But I guess he saw the blood because he found us, and then he tried to attack! But I told him that we didn’t mean any harm and that we needed help. It took some talking but I managed to convince him to help us. Oh, and I cleaned your hoodie for you." Sans beamed. "You got blood all over it!"

“Sans I—I don’t understand, Red didn’t—he didn’t kill you? H-how…”

“Papy, it's alright!" Sans put a reassuring hand on Papyrus' shoulder. "Red’s a good guy Papy, I mean, he acts all tough, but underneath, he really is!” Red grunted from where he stood by the door, looking abashed. “I don’t like to think what would have happened if he hadn’t found us.”

Papyrus turned to look at Red, who grinned sheepishly.

“And how did you find us?” Papyrus asked, failing to hide his suspicion.

“Well, I was on my patrol, and uh, I guess it was just lucky I was around that area when I was.” Red shifted uncomfortably on his feet, failing to meet Papyrus’ gaze.

“Oh really?” said Papyrus, not buying Red’s story. “How fortunate that you just happened to be in the exact right place, just when we—”

“Papy, that’s enough!” scolded Sans, and Papyrus fell silent. “It doesn’t matter how he found us, we’re safe here!”

“And where exactly is ‘here’?” Papyrus asked, looking at Red.

“You’re at my house,” Red stated. “Well, me and my bro’s house.”

“No, I mean what universe is this?”

“Oh. You mean you don’t know?” Red looked at Papyrus pointedly.

Papyrus stared back at Red, trying to look unfazed, but he could feel fear creeping into his soul.

“Heh, so you do know,” Red said, obviously noticing the way Papyrus’ expression faltered.

“We’re in Underfell, Papy,” Sans stated quietly, hand brushing gently over his brother’s, as if to try and reassure him.

Underfell.

Papyrus had heard stories about this universe from the Sans of Undertale. It was rough, dangerous, and merciless. Sans had described it as a place with a true 'kill or be killed' mentality. Most monsters here had a high Level of Violence, and those that didn’t were often killed just for the EXP. Papyrus suddenly realised what the mustiness in the air had been when they had arrived. Dust. The dust of monsters. So much dust, that it contaminated the very air. Papyrus suppressed a shudder.

“Papy, are you alright?” Sans looked down at his brother with concern. “Papy it’s okay, Red and his brother are going to protect us, we’ll be okay.”

Papyrus suddenly felt a rush of nausea pass over him.

Red’s brother. His counterpart in this universe. The other Papyrus. How could he have forgotten?

Undertale Sans had told Papyrus about the Underfell version of himself as well. ‘Edge’, he had called him. Edge had a reputation that bred fear. He was known for being one of the most dangerous monsters in this universe, which was certainly saying something. Sans hadn’t disclosed his Level Of Violence, but it had been easy to discern that it must be very high, given the way Sans spoke about him.

He was ruthless.

A member of the Royal Guard with a killing streak bound to strike fear into the souls of any monster he crossed. He didn’t use mercy, nor did he tolerate incompetence.

But worst of all was the way he treated his brother. It was said that even Red feared his own brother, and obeyed his every command, like an attack dog. Papyrus couldn't control the shiver that ran down his spine.

“Papy? Papyrus, are you listening to me?”

The sound of his brother’s voice broke Papyrus’ train of thought. He glanced up at Sans, who was anxiously looking down at him, both of his hands clasped around one of Papyrus’.

“Papy, I told you, we don’t have to worry, Red and Edge are going to keep us safe. Until we can get back, that is.”

Red smiled reassuringly.

“Yeah, don’t worry bud, we won’t let anything happen to you guys.”

Papyrus still couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that was entering his soul.

“Your brother…” he ventured, slowly.

“Yeah, what about him?” Red asked, looking puzzled.

“W-where is he now?”

“Out on patrol,” said Red. “I’d normally be out too, but we decided it would be best if I stuck with you guys until you woke up.”

“He knows we’re here?” Papyrus asked, alarmed.

“Well, uh, yeah.” Red looked confused. “You've kind of been sleeping on our couch for the past five days, dude.”

Papyrus felt the familiar sense of panic rising in his soul and his breaths became short and laboured. He sat up abruptly, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs as he did so.

“Papy? What’s the matter?” Sans looked alarmed, his hands still clasped over his brother’s.

“Sans, we have to go, we have to leave this place right now. It isn’t safe.” Papyrus slid his feet onto the floor, slowly standing up, gritting his teeth against the dizzying pain in his ribs.

“Papy, what’s wrong with you? Red isn’t going to hurt us! It’s safe as long as we stay in the house.” Sans stared up at his brother, eye-lights blown wide with concern and fright.

“It’s not Red I’m worried about,” Papyrus mumbled, stumbling towards the door, his hand clasped firmly around his younger brother’s. “We need to get out of here now.” He reached for the doorknob, trying to ignore the white spots obscuring his vision, and the fresh burst of pain slashing across his ribs. It didn’t matter. He needed to get Sans out of this place. He needed to keep his brother safe.

Before he could reach the doorknob, Papyrus felt a hand firmly grasp his own, pulling it back sharply.

“You’re not leaving this house,” Red’s gruff voice came from behind him. “It’s not safe. You’ll be killed.”

“We’ll be killed if we stay!” Papyrus snapped, desperately trying to free his hand from Red’s grasp. “He—he’ll kill us! I-I have to protect Sans.”

“Papy, what are you talking about?” Sans urged. “ _Who_ will kill us?”

“His—his brother, Edge! He’ll kill us both, Sans! We aren’t safe here, we need to leave right now!” Papyrus tried once again to free himself from Red’s grip, his ribs screaming at him, his head spinning.

“What are you talking about?” Red’s voice was a mixture of confusion and exasperation. “Why would my brother try to kill you?” Red managed to turn Papyrus to face him, red eye-lights boring into his own.

“How do you think you’re still alive right now? He’s the one who healed you, idiot.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick chapter here! Kind of a bit more on Edge, and Red acting pretty shady.  
> Hope you enjoy! xx

Sans immediately saw the tell-tale signs of his brother losing consciousness. His golden-orange eye-lights were blinking in and out, and his legs were crumpling beneath him. Sans quickly grabbed a hold of his brother’s waist to support him, while Red held his shoulders.

“Heh, your brother’s a strange one, isn’t he?” Red said, as they carried Papyrus back to the sofa.

Once they had lain him down, Sans brushed his hand lightly over his brother’s cheekbone.

“He’ll be okay, won’t he?” Sans asked, worry creeping into his tone.

“’Course he will,” said Red. “Just a bit of culture shock I guess.” Red turned to leave but Sans placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“Red,” Sans said, slowly, “why did he think your brother wanted to kill us?”

Red turned slowly to regard Sans, his expression guarded.

“Dunno,” Red murmured, “guess it’s just this universe? Everyone here is a bit rough y'know? Probably just rumours he must've heard, that—”

“Red, don’t lie to me.” Sans’ tone was stern. “I’m you, I can tell when you are.”

Red sighed, defeated.

“Alright, so my brother has kind of a reputation. He’s not exactly the friendliest monster around, as you probably surmised from your brief encounters.”

“Well I mean, sure he was a little, uh, prickly, but I couldn’t imagine him wanting to kill us! We didn’t do anything wrong.” Sans felt a growing sense of unease in his soul. Surely Edge wasn’t that bad? Although, the fact that the mere mention of him had sent his own big brother into a frightened panic gave Sans a sudden urge to repeat Papyrus’ earlier actions and make a run for it. But he brushed off that feeling.

“Well, uh…” Red seemed at a loss for words.

“Red?” Sans’ sense of alarm continued to grow. “Red, did your brother… do something… bad?”

Red looked at Sans, seeming uncomfortable.

“Well… not just, _one_ thing." Sans' eye sockets widened, and Red rushed to correct himself. "No, no, that's not what I mean! It’s more just... his reputation. He’s pretty unforgiving when it comes to insubordination in this town. I mean, he has to be, you know? He is part of the Royal Guard after all. And in this universe, that’s pretty important.”

“But why would Papyrus think he wanted to hurt us?” Sans asked, still not convinced. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Well, he, uh, he has a lot of LOVE, as you may have noticed,” Red began, still looking very uncomfortable.

Sans had noticed. While he hadn’t ‘checked’ the other monster, he had simply given off the air of someone with a lot of LOVE. It had intimidated Sans, but strangely, he hadn’t felt like he was in any danger. Until now at least.

“Well, he had to get that from somewhere,” Red continued, “and, believe it or not, Snowdin hasn’t always been this… well, peaceful isn’t the right word, but believe me, it used to be much worse. Monsters were dusted on a daily basis, and my bro had to make sure we weren’t among those who were.”

Red looked away from Sans.

“But… but I thought he only killed monster who—who didn’t obey the rules?” Sans’ voice had gone up an octave, fear shrouding his soul.

“Well, I mean yeah, he does now,” said Red irritably, “but you can’t blame him for what he did in the past. It's not always so black-and-white okay? It was mostly self-defence, and if he hadn’t done it, we’d both probably be dead by now!”

Red’s face was flushed crimson, his eye-lights flared. But his anger immediately seemed to dissipate when he looked at Sans, who could feel himself quivering slightly, his starry blue eye-lights blown wide.

“Oh hey, Blue, I’m sorry,” Red said, putting a hand on Sans’ shoulder. “Look, my brother just has a reputation, is all. It’s how we stay alive. There’s no trust here, only fear. If the other monsters don’t fear you, then you’re just easy EXP, and there’s a target on your back. Edge needs to command respect, it keeps us safe.”

Sans nodded, his fear subsiding slightly. He remembered when Red had first brought himself and Papyrus to this house, using his ability to teleport, an ability which Sans knew his own brother possessed as well. When they’d stumbled through the door, both supporting Papyrus, Edge had been in the living room, sitting on the couch.

His immediate reaction had been anger, demanding Red tell him who these strangers were. But upon reassurance from Red, Edge had immediately jumped to help, even healing Papyrus and allowing the brothers to stay with himself and Red, provided they tidy up after themselves. It had been strange, the way he had almost instantly trusted his brother's word. Sans had felt a slight pang of jealousy. He knew his own Papyrus didn’t fully trust him, even if he claimed to. It somehow always felt like he was hiding something from Sans.

Sans hadn’t seen much of Edge after that, only occasionally catching glimpses of him when he arrived back from his daily (and nightly) patrols, greeting him when he passed him. He had spent more time with Red, who, despite being rough on the outside, was rather kind to Sans.

Something suddenly occurred to Sans.

“Red?” he asked, “Why did you let us stay with you?”

Red regarded him with confusion.

“Your brother was hurt,” he said, “I couldn’t just leave you two alone out there to die.”

“But how did you know you could trust us? You said it yourself, there isn’t trust in this place, but you barely hesitated to help us.” Sans gazed up at Red, meeting his crimson eye-lights.

“Well,” Red shifted awkwardly, “I mean I did try to attack you at first, it wasn’t instant trust.”

“Yeah, but after that, you took us straight to your house,” Sans regarded Red with scrutiny.

“You’re me,” Red stated. “And your brother, well he’s kinda like a version of Edge, isn’t he? I guess it’s difficult not to trust someone who's basically a replica of you.”

Sans could tell that there was something more to it, but he decided to let it drop. Red turned to leave.

“Red…” Sans ventured. Red turned to face him.

“What’s up?”

“What you said, about the other monsters fearing your brother… do they… do they fear you too?” Sans looked at Red, holding his gaze for a couple of seconds.

“I—” Red was interrupted by the sound of keys in the front door. “Huh, sounds like my bro’s home, I’d better check on dinner,” Red said, and turned to walk back towards the kitchen, leaving Sans alone in the living room, his unconscious brother by his side.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Edgy reveal! Hope you enjoy (¬‿¬)

Sans barely had time to compose himself before the front door flew open, revealing a tall, frightening skeleton.

“SANS? YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE ASLEEP, OR I’LL—” Edge stopped short upon seeing the smaller Sans, standing timidly next to the sofa. “Oh, Blue, I apologise, good evening,” Edge said, his harsh expression softening slightly at the sight of his brother’s gentler counterpart.

If Red and Sans were different in their physical appearances, then Edge was Papyrus’ evil twin.

Where Papyrus’ teeth were mostly flat, save for his pointed canines, all of Edge’s teeth were razor sharp, giving him a shark-like appearance. His eye sockets were narrowed, the right one bearing a deep scar, which ran down to his cheek bone. His eye-lights were a harsh crimson, a great contrast to Papyrus’ warm golden-orange ones.

Sans had yet to see Edge out of his armour, which, much like Red’s attire, was mostly black and red. He wore long gloves, reaching up to his elbows, the fingers of which were sharp and pointed. The tall, heeled boots further increased the skeleton’s height, making him tower over Sans more so than even his own brother did.

Edge’s posture was rigid and proud, unlike Papyrus’ casual, slouching demeanour. And even less like Sans’ brother, Edge wore a constant scowl, adding to his overall threatening aura.

“Greetings, Edge! H-how was your patrol?” Sans asked, chipper, although he couldn’t stop his voice from shaking slightly. Despite what Red had just told him about Edge, Sans was determined to remain on good terms with the Royal Guardsman, and that meant staying polite.

“Rather well, thank you Blue,” Edge said, nodding at the smaller skeleton. His voice was low and gravelly, as if he did too much shouting. Or perhaps it was just to complete the entire ‘come near me and I’ll kill you’ persona. Sans supposed it was a bit of both. “And how is your brother?” Edge asked, regarding Papyrus, who was still asleep on the couch.

“Oh, Papy woke up today!” Sans said, excitedly, subconsciously running a hand over his brother’s cheek bone.

“Oh? That is excellent news,” Edge said, raising his brow bone, but still not smiling.

“Yes!” Sans exclaimed. “But, he did pass out again after a couple of minutes. Red and I think it’s just culture shock… or something.” Sans shifted uncomfortably, not meeting Edge’s gaze.

If Edge noticed Sans’ discomfort though, he didn’t comment.

“Hmm, well, do let me know when he wakes up again. I will need to speak with him.” Edge’s expression remained severe, but there was a slightly gentle undertone as he regarded Sans. “Are you ready for dinner?”

“Dinner?” said Sans, looking at Edge with a puzzled expression, which quickly changed to excitement. “Wait, you’re eating with us tonight?” Sans gasped, eye-lights sparkling. Despite his fears, Sans was curious to get to know his older brother’s rougher counterpart, and besides, he had cooked tonight. He was certain that his magnificent tacos could win Edge over!

“I am,” Edge said, tone even, “provided my lazy whelp of a brother has actually bothered to cook.”

Sans grimaced inwardly at Edge’s scalding reference to his brother, but kept his expression cheery.

“Oh actually, I cooked tonight!” he said, hoping to divert Edge’s attention away from Red.

“So my brother allowed our guest to do the housework he should be taking responsibility for?” Edge observed Sans, who felt himself shrink under his gaze.

“What? N-no!” he squeaked. “I-I wanted to! It’s no problem, in fact, I enjoy cooking! So, if anything, your brother did _me_ a favour, it’s—” Sans stopped abruptly when Edge started chuckling. “W-what…”

“Nyeh heh, I’m only teasing you, little Blueberry,” said Edge, smirking. “There’s no need to be so afraid. Come, let’s eat.”

Edge turned and made his way to the kitchen, and Sans followed, trying to stop his bones from trembling.

 

****

 

Upon entering the kitchen, Sans could smell the sauce he’d prepared for the tacos. Red was standing by the stove, stirring the simmering taco meat. As soon as the kitchen door opened, Red jumped to attention.

“Heya, Boss,” he said, averting his eyes from his brother’s sharp glare. “You, uh, staying for dinner?”

“As it so happens, brother, I am,” Edge said, “and I see you decided to make yourself useful.”

“Well, couldn’t let Blue take all the credit for this delicious food, could I?” Red grinned.

Edge rolled his eye-lights and took a seat at the dinner table, which had already been set. He took out his cell phone, indicating he did not want to be disturbed, and ignoring Sans and his brother for the time-being. Sans helped Red dish out the sauce and meat onto the taco shells, which had been placed on three plates.

“Stretch still sleeping?” Red asked, and it took Sans a moment to process that he was talking about Papyrus.

“Oh, yes, he is,” Sans said. He suddenly felt his soul drop slightly. His brother loved his tacos.

Red seemed to sense his sudden bleakness, because he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t worry bud, he’ll be up soon. Think he just got a bit scared is all.”

“I miss him,” Sans admitted. It seemed silly, Papyrus was right there. But while his brother was renowned for being lazy, Sans had never seen him sleep this long. Not to mention he was hurt very badly, so this wasn’t exactly a bout of laziness. Sans was worried.

“I know,” said Red gently, “but he’ll be up soon. He probably just needs a couple more hours to adjust, he got hurt pretty badly.”

“Do you think… do you think his wound will heal?” Sans asked, staring up at Red, eye-lights shimmering.

“Yeah, ‘course he will. Boss is a great healer – ain’t that right, Boss?” Red said, turning his attention to his brother. Edge made a non-committal noise without looking up from his phone. Red rolled his eye-lights and turned back to face Sans. “Trust me, he’ll be fine.”

Sans nodded, grateful for Red’s comforting.

“So how’d he get hurt so badly in the first place?” Red asked, turning to take the sauce off the stove. “You didn’t say before.”

“I-I’m not sure actually,” said Sans, helping Red spoon the sauce onto the tacos. “I’m certain he didn’t have it before we arrived here, it just suddenly appeared when we landed. Do you think he could have gotten it from the journey?” Sans lowered his voice, not wanting Edge to overhear them. “Does that sort of thing happen a lot, with, you know, inter-universe travelling?”

Red shook his head.

“Nah, never seen that happen before, he must’ve had it before you got here.”

“But he didn’t!” said Sans, his voice going slightly shrill, causing Edge to look up irritably, and Red winced slightly. Sans lowered his voice once again. “I would’ve noticed! And besides, there’s no way he was walking around for so long with such a bad injury, he was completely fine before we arrived.”

“You sure you weren’t attacked? Could’ve been someone who ambushed you when you arrived—”

Sans shook his head.

“No it happened straight away, as soon as we landed. I don’t understand how…” Sans drifted off at the expression on Red’s face, which suddenly looked distant, his eye-lights reduced to pin pricks. “Red? What is it?”

Red seemed to notice his sudden lapse in focus and quickly rearranged his face into a calm expression.

“Uh, nothing,” he said, shifting awkwardly, “come on, food’s ready, I’m starving.” He quickly finished dishing out the meat and sauce, and placed a plate in front of Edge, who had put his phone away, before sitting down to the left of his brother. When Sans had first encountered Red, he had found him rather intimidating, with his scars and sharpened teeth, not to mention the fact that he was a couple of inches taller than Sans, something which bothered the smaller skeleton to no end. But upon meeting Edge, Sans had realised that he actually found Red’s appearance to be rather comforting in comparison. Seeing them next to each other, as they were now, Red looked rather small and timid, despite being one of the more terrifying monsters Sans had encountered. Sans vaguely wondered what _he_ looked like when he stood next to Edge. Eyeing Red with concern, Sans took a seat opposite him.

They ate in uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes, before Edge broke it by asking “So, Blue, what brought you and your brother to our universe?”

Sans spluttered slightly on a mouthful of food.

“Y-you know about the multiple universes?” he asked, shocked.

Edge narrowed his eye sockets.

“Of course I do,” he said, his voice low, “why? Does your Papyrus not know?”

“N-no, he does know. In fact he knew before I did,” Sans said. “I just thought, well, uh, I mean he kept me in the dark for a long time, I don’t know, I guess I, uh, figured it was the same here.” Sans stumbled over his words, unsure how to respond under Edge’s intimidating stare.

“No, my brother and I do not keep secrets from each other,” Edge stated wryly, and Sans noticed Red grimacing slightly out of the corner of his eye.

“Well, neither do Papy and I!” Sans said indignantly, folding his arms.

“Hmm, forgive me Blue, that is not what I meant,” said Edge, his tone still low. “I merely meant that down here, keeping secrets is dangerous…” He regarded Sans pointedly. “So tell me, how did you end up in our universe?”

Sans could feel himself flushing blue under Edge’s gaze, red eye-lights boring into him.

“We—it was an accident,” Sans explained. “We were trying to get to Undertale.”

“Undertale?” Edge said, raising his brow bone, “why were you trying to get there?”

Sans opened his mouth but then considered for a moment. Papyrus had never actually explained why they were going there. He’d never let Sans travel to another universe before, always telling him it was too dangerous. But this time it seemed he had been running away from something in their own universe. But what?

“I’m… not sure,” Sans said, slowly. “Papy just woke me up in the middle of the night and said we needed to get to Undertale, but he didn’t say why.” Sans hesitated for a moment, but then decided to admit, “He seemed scared.”

“Scared?” Red asked, suddenly looking up. “Of what?”

“I don’t know,” Sans said, “he just kept saying that it was urgent and we had to leave immediately.”

Red and Edge exchanged a look, then turned their attention back to Sans, regarding him intently. Sans shrunk slightly under their stares.

“Odd behaviour…” said Edge quietly, more to himself than anything.

“Guess we’ll find out when he wakes up,” said Red.

“Yes, indeed,” said Edge, coming out of his thoughts, “I will question him. For now though, I have another question for you, Blue – how did you end up in Underfell? You said you were going to Undertale, but you ended up here. Why?”

“I… don’t know,” Sans said, feeling rather tired of not knowing the answers to things. “I saw my brother copy the code into the Machine, I am certain he would not have copied the wrong code. But somehow, we ended up here instead.”

“Hmm, rather unfortunate for you,” Edge said, “though I suppose it was fortuitous my brother found you. Nonetheless, I will most certainly have to question your brother once he awakens, this is most curious.”

Red looked up at his brother, suddenly seeming apprehensive. Sans noticed his hand twisting at his collar, as if by instinct.

“Uh, you sure you don’t want me to do the, uh, questioning, Boss? I mean, I do know a bit more about inter-universe travel and the Machine and—”

“Nonsense, brother!” Edge interrupted. “You may know more about the multiverses, but you know little of the art of interrogation.”

Sans felt alarm clench his soul.

“In-interrogation?” he asked, timidly.

Sensing Sans’ anxiety, Edge softened his expression slightly.

“Interrogation was perhaps a harsh use of words,” he said, brandishing what Sans supposed was meant to be a warm smile.

Red still looked uneasy.

“B-boss, are you sure? I mean, maybe it would be better if I—”

“Enough, whelp!” Edge snapped, and Red shrunk back in his seat, phalanges twisting harder at the collar around his neck. “I will be the one to question him, and that is the end of it. I do not understand why you are pushing this.”

Red conceded and gave a small nod, hanging his skull to stare at the floor. Sans suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and decided to busy himself with cleaning up the dishes, as everyone appeared to be finished their dinner.

“No, little Blueberry, do not bother yourself with these,” Edge said, as Sans reached over to take his plate. “My brother and I will clean this up. Go be with yours.”

Sans stared at Edge for a couple of seconds, eye-lights wide, before nodding and hurrying out of the kitchen, relieved to escape the tense atmosphere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I don't update for a few days, I'm on holiday right now so I might not have access to wifi, but I'll try my best! xx


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay on this update, but hope you enjoy this chapter ｡(✿‿✿)｡

When Papyrus opened his eyes, the room was dark.

It took him a moment to make sense of his surroundings, and as he began to wake up, he also began to recall the events that had occurred earlier that day – and where he was. In a sudden panic, he tried to sit up, only to be reminded of the stinging ache in his ribs. Defeated, he lay back down, sighing.

It was dark outside the house as well, so Papyrus figured it must be late at night. He couldn’t see any light coming from upstairs, so he assumed everyone else had gone to bed. Papyrus felt he'd slept off most of his exhaustion, so he lay there for a couple of minutes, simply staring at the ceiling, thinking.

How had the portal taken them here? He was certain he had typed the correct universe code into the Machine. Papyrus knew they needed to leave this universe as soon as possible; they needed to get to the Machine of this universe, which he assumed would be in the basement of this house. They needed to get to Undertale, or at least back to their own universe so he could figure out what had gone wrong with their Machine. But Papyrus wasn't eager to go back there; he had left for a reason.

Papyrus still wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to disclose the reason for this journey to his brother. After all, the human had been very clear what their intentions were.

That train of thought brought up another issue – why had the gash across his ribs reappeared upon arriving in this universe? He knew that once the human reset, he was healed. It had happened many times before, he knew the drill. He had never actually died from the deep cut the human’s knife always left. After being defeated, he simply had to wait until the human reset, and his gash would be gone. And it had disappeared, this time, but only for a while. Only until they arrived in Underfell.

Something suddenly occurred to Papyrus. While he wasn’t quite sure how the human’s Determination worked, he knew they had the power to return to a certain point in time. Was it at all possible that they had done this to him? That they had returned him to the point in time before the reset?

Papyrus shook his head. No, that was ridiculous, the human might be Determined, but he was certain they didn’t have that much power.

So lost in thought, Papyrus didn’t notice the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

It was only when the figure was standing directly over him that he noticed their presence, causing him to jump, and attempt to swear loudly, only to have his cry muffled by a hand over his mouth.

“Shh, calm down, relax,” a low, gravelly voice said.

Papyrus struggled under the grip, only to wince in pain when a gloved hand came to rest on his ribs.

“Careful, you’re still hurt,” the harsh voice said. “Probably because of all this moving around, stay still.” The hand on his ribs moved to his shoulder, holding him firmly still. “Okay, I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth. I need you to stay quiet, you don’t want to awaken the others, do you?”

Papyrus resisted the urge to roll his eye-lights, wanting to comment that _he_ was not the one who had been sneaking around the house so late. The gloved hand slowly uncovered his mouth, only to move down towards his ribs, where it began to slowly lift his hoodie to reveal his ribs.

“Hey, what are you—”

“Quiet!” the voice snapped, low. “You’re obviously not fully recovered, I’m healing you again.”

“Again…” Papyrus trailed off, his mind finally catching up and realising who this was. A fresh wave of panic swallowed his soul, and he felt his eye-lights go out completely. His struggles began anew, the stabbing pain in his ribs the only thing keeping him from lashing out completely.

“Get away from me!” he spat, trying to push Edge away, to little avail; Edge was strong. Edge continued to hold him still, hand still on Papyrus’ hoodie, but he had paused lifting it from his ribs.

“Listen to me,” Edge said, his voice calm, “you need to relax, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Don’t touch me!” Papyrus hissed, trying to shield himself with his arms. “Stop, I said don’t touch me!” Papyrus’ cries were frantic, and Edge immediately withdrew, coming to stand at full height, towering over Papyrus.

“Papyrus,” Edge said, his voice still calm. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

Papyrus felt himself shaking with fear, looking up and finally seeing the skeleton standing before him as his eye-lights adjusted to the dark.

It was like looking in a mirror on Halloween, only it seemed he’d gone overboard with the costume, because right now, he was terrified. Edge looked like the type of monster you’d only see in one of Undyne’s horror themed animes. Papyrus could only think to describe him as a nightmare version of himself. The crimson eye-lights on the other skeleton almost illuminated the darkness around them, their piercing gaze seeming to stare right into Papyrus’ soul.

“P-please, don’t come near me,” Papyrus said, voice shaking.

“Stre—Papyrus, I need to heal you, I’m the only one capable,” Edge said, expression calm.

Papyrus shook his head.

“N-no, I’m fine, I don’t need you to. Please just, stay back.”

Edge regarded Papyrus for a few moments, then nodded.

“As you wish,” he said. He then turned and walked to a darker corner of the room, returning with a chair, which he placed a couple of metres from where Papyrus lay on the couch. “But I do need to talk to you.”

Papyrus felt an uncomfortable shudder in his soul, which must have been reflected in his expression because Edge’s hard expression lessened slightly.

“There is no cause for alarm,” he said, “I simply need some answers.”

After a few moments’ hesitation, Papyrus nodded slowly. His arms were still wrapped protectively around his chest.

“Firstly, I would like to know what universe you and your brother are from,” Edge said, watching Papyrus intently.

“I—we’re from... Underswap,” said Papyrus, using the name the Sans from Undertale had given his universe.

Edge nodded.

“Ah, yes, that makes sense,” said Edge, looking thoughtful. “So I assume you’re the one who has the ability to take ‘short-cuts’, as my brother calls them?” Papyrus nodded. “Hmm, and…” Edge paused for a moment, and Papyrus felt the familiar sensation of being ‘checked’, “yes, as I suspected. You’re a one HP monster.”

Papyrus felt suddenly vulnerable at the disclosure of this information, especially to his dark counterpart.

“Surprising that your wound didn’t kill you,” Edge said. “Yet fortunate, I suppose. It seems you were rather lucky that my brother found you. And that I am such an excellent healer.”

“Heh, don’t flatter yourself, it still hurts like a bitch.”

Edge frowned.

“Papyrus, I really think it would be wise of you to let me heal you again,” he said, voice low.

Papyrus met his gaze.

“I-I’d rather not… for now.” Not only did Papyrus harbour a deep mistrust of this darker version of himself, but he was well aware of the… intimacy of healing. Especially when it came to wounds this severe, healing often required the stronger magic of one’s soul. Papyrus was slightly grateful he’d been unconscious the first time Edge had healed him.

Edge observed him again, and Papyrus felt the weight of his scrutiny in his soul. Edge seemed to decide to let the healing issue drop, because he resumed his line of questioning.

“Now, according to your brother, you did not intend to come here, to Underfell,” Edge continued, “he claims you were trying to get to Undertale. So tell me, why were you trying to reach that universe?”

Papyrus’ silence didn’t seem to faze Edge.

“What were you running from?”

The question struck a chord with Papyrus, hitting a little too close to the truth. His shock must have shown in his features because Edge said, “So I am right? You should not discount the observational skills of your younger brother. He noticed your fear. So, I will ask again – what, or who, were you running from?”

Papyrus was stunned. He avoided Edge’s gaze and tried to focus on the carpet below him. He couldn’t reveal the truth, he knew how much danger it would put his brother in.

“I do not like being lied to, Papyrus,” said Edge, coolly. “Nor do I appreciate being ignored.”

“I-I can’t say,” Papyrus murmured, still not meeting Edge’s gaze.

“Speak up,” commanded Edge, sternly, “why can’t you tell me?”

Papyrus looked up, finally meeting Edge’s crimson eye-lights with his golden-orange ones.

“Sans,” he said, simply.

Despite the ambiguity of his answer, Edge seemed to understand.

“You’re protecting your brother.” He stated it less as a question, and more as an obvious fact. “Very well. As much as I dislike secrets, I will not push you. Though I advise that you tell me the truth, as I am of better use to you if I know what the problem is – I will not force you to tell me.”

Papyrus appreciated Edge dropping the issue.

“Now I do have one final query, though, I assume you will know as much on the matter as your brother does. How did you end up here, in Underfell?”

Papyrus considered for a moment. This question was one which had been bothering him as well, but he still hadn’t come to any conclusions.

“I’m afraid you’re right, haven’t got a clue,” he said, shrugging.

“You’re sure you entered the correct universe code?”

“Positive.”

“Hmm, troubling.” Worry creased Edge’s brow bone. They sat in silence for a few moments before Edge rose from his chair. “Well I’d best be getting back to bed. I don’t suppose you’re tired after all the sleeping you’ve done?”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Heh, I dunno, I could go for a nap.”

Edge frowned.

“You’re more like my brother than I thought,” he said, deadpan. “Well if you do decide to stay awake, feel free to watch TV or get something to eat from the kitchen. Just make sure you’re quiet, your brother is impossible to get to sleep, it’s fortunate he has not kept my brother up all night, I was reluctant to let them share a room.”

Papyrus chuckled.

“What, did he make you read him a bedtime story?”

Edge only glowered at him, giving him his answer.

“Goodnight, Papyrus,” he said, before ascending the stairs and disappearing into his room.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next week, things seemed to fall into something of a routine around the house. Edge would leave early for his patrol duties, still commanding that Red remain at the house to keep the other skeleton brothers under close watch. Papyrus wasn’t sure if it was to keep them safe from harm, or to keep them from escaping. He figured it was a bit of both.

Red didn’t seem to mind too much, though he did start to appear slightly restless after a couple of days. He mostly just watched TV with Papyrus, or, rather grudgingly, helped Sans around the house.

Sans couldn’t seem to keep busy enough, growing more and more fidgety by the day, eager to keep himself busy. Papyrus supposed it was because of his lack of exercise – normally he would train with Captain Alphys almost every day. Papyrus tried to keep him entertained by spending time with him, recounting old stories they shared, watching TV, reading books he could find around the house with him. But being unable to move around too much without considerable discomfort, Papyrus couldn’t really help his brother overcome his agitation. On one particular day Sans had done the laundry three times in an effort to find something to do.

Most nights, Red or Sans cooked dinner, given that Edge was seldom home early enough, and Papyrus’ cooking skills were laughable. Sans was always eager to make his trademark tacos, insisting that Papyrus eat as much as he could to regain his strength. Occasionally Edge would allow Red to go out to get food from a place they called ‘Grillby’s’. It was often greasy burgers or fries, which Papyrus didn’t mind too much, but Sans would turn his nose up slightly. Edge only had dinner with them a couple of times during the week, often only returning from his Royal Guard duties late into the night.

Papyrus was becoming less jumpy around his rougher self, though he had to admit he still flinched a little whenever Edge slammed the front door open when he got home, making some loud proclamation about his day, or about how lazy his brother was, or just about anything else really. His sharp, gravelly voice was difficult to tune out.

Papyrus had also noticed something else. Despite what he had heard about the relationship between the Underfell brothers, Red and Edge seemed to have a very close bond. They both appeared to relax slightly when around each other, although Red still occasionally quivered in his brother’s presence, his hand often tugging uncomfortably at the studded collar round his neck. Papyrus didn’t fail to notice the way Red often became attentive when his brother entered the room, sometimes even flinching when Edge raised his voice. But there was an unspoken loyalty between them, a deep trust in each other.

During the day, Sans would drag Red into the kitchen to help him cook, or around the house to help him tidy up the mess the two lazier skeletons often left, and Papyrus found himself alone most of the time. Papyrus wished he’d thought to bring a pack of cigarettes with him, because boy did boredom bring on the cravings. But instead, he’d been left to his thoughts, many of which only frustrated him further.

There was still much he didn’t understand about their current predicament. He felt a little annoyed that he could barely move five feet without feeling the stabbing pain of the laceration across his chest, and was forced to collapse back onto the sofa, which had become something of a permanent residence for him. Papyrus was desperate to explore this world, as dangerous as it might be, and find out as much as he could. While normally he would be quite content to spend days lying asleep on his sofa at home, he couldn’t shake the restless feeling he had, like he should be doing something to get himself and his brother out of this godforsaken universe.

Papyrus spent much of his time sleeping. He normally wouldn’t mind this, but there was something quite different between choosing to sleep all day, and sleeping all day simply because he was so exhausted. And Papyrus _was_ exhausted. He would wake up and his limbs would feel heavy, his skull pounding. The deep cut across his chest seemed to be getting increasingly painful by the day, often causing him to wake up in the night, his breathing shallow and strained.

And then of course there were the recurring nightmares.

They had bothered him back at home as well, so at least he had something familiar to hold onto, he thought, dryly. They had started sometime after the resets had begun, or at least, after the human’s ‘bad runs’ had begun. Papyrus had lost count of how many times he’d seen his brother die, along with all his friends. He’d lost count of how many times he’d felt the slash of the human’s blade across his chest, or how many times he’d woken up in his bed after a reset, relieved that everything was back to normal, only to have it happen all over again.

One night, about a week after Papyrus had first woken up, they were all eating dinner together – pasta, made by Red. It was one of those rare nights when Edge joined them, and dinner conversation had mostly been casual and polite, until suddenly Red said, “So Stretch? What’s with the nightmares?”

Papyrus dropped his fork, which clattered onto the plate.

“N-nightmares? What are you talking about?” he said, voice faltering. He could feel everyone’s eye-lights on him. He glanced at his brother, who was sitting next to him, and was looking at him with concern. Sans knew about his nightmares, though Papyrus had spared him the details, but they didn’t talk about it often. Sans usually just offered comfort, not pushing his brother to share, and Papyrus appreciated it.

“It’s alright, bud, I get them too,” said Red, looking at him with sincerity.

Papyrus felt stunned. He looked across the table at Red, feeling his eye-lights widening.

“Y-you do?”

“Yeah. Well, not as much anymore, but they used to get real bad.” Red regarded him solemnly. “We wanna help ya, Papyrus.” Papyrus felt a small shock at Red’s use of his real name - he usually opted for the nickname.

“Uh, thanks,” he said, avoiding eye contact with the other skeletons, “but, really, it’s alright. I mean they’re not that bad, and I don’t get them that often, it’s just every other night, really I’ll be—”

“Oh for goodness sake, you wake me up every night with your whimpering,” Edge growled.

“Boss,” said Red, giving his brother a dark look, and Edge fell silent. Papyrus had a feeling this small intervention had been planned. Red turned back to Papyrus, rough features smoothing into a gentle expression. “Look, we’re not suggesting therapy or anything, but…”

“But Red and I have been talking,” Sans piped in, “and we think you should sleep with me! In Red’s room.” Sans smiled at Papyrus expectantly, blue eye-lights sparkling.

“But-but where will Red sleep?” Papyrus asked, feeling slightly flustered.

“Eh, no big deal bud, I’ll take the couch,” Red said, shrugging. “We figured you might feel better with your brother nearby.”

Papyrus wasn’t sure what to say.

“I um, well, I uh—”

“It’s no sweat, really sweetheart,” said Red, smiling reassuringly, his golden tooth glinting, “it’ll probably make things easier anyway, so Boss doesn’t wake ya every time he leaves in the morning. And besides,” he looked at Papyrus earnestly, “you need to get some proper rest, if that wound of yours is gonna heal.” His red eye-lights flickered to Papyrus’ chest.

Out of the corner of his eye, Papyrus saw Edge tense, and shift uncomfortably in his seat.

“How’s it been feeling recently?” Red asked.

“Oh, uh, much better actually,” Papyrus lied. “Yeah, it, uh, hasn’t been bothering me so much these past few days.” Red looked doubtful, and Papyrus saw Edge narrow his eye sockets, but neither of them said anything, much to his relief.

“So Papy, you’ll be sleeping with me now!” Sans chirped, beaming, a light blue flush across his cheek bones. Papyrus smiled fondly down at his little brother.

“Can’t wait bro,” he said, “guess that means I’d better start looking for a bedtime story for you.” Sans’ eye-lights practically turned heart-shaped, his expression brimming with excitement. Red grinned, and even Edge’s expression was slightly less severe than usual. Sans tended to have that effect on people.

After they’d finished eating dinner, Sans helped Edge clean up, while Red led Papyrus upstairs to his room.

“Uh, sorry about the mess,” said the stockier skeleton, as they entered the room, on the floor of which several items were scattered.

“Heh, you call this a mess?” said Papyrus, walking in and glancing around. “My room isn’t even this tidy after Sans insists on cleaning it.”

“Heh, Boss would kill me if I let my room get too messy,” said Red casually. Papyrus felt a twinge of guilt in his soul at this confession.

“Oh," he said, uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with Red. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Didn’t mean to what?” asked Red, eyeing him with a hint of irritation. “Y’know, me and Boss might not be perfect like you and your brother, but at the end of the day we have each other’s backs.” There was a brief flash in Red’s eye-lights as he spoke.

“No, sorry,” said Papyrus, quickly, “I didn’t mean to imply—it’s just, I’ve heard, um, things, about… how he treats you…”

Red grunted, and his hand briefly brushed the studded collar on his neck, as if on instinct.

“Hm. Don’t trust everything you hear,” he said, scowling, and Papyrus decided not to pursue the issue.

They stood in silence for a few moments before Red started to shift uncomfortably, twisting his phalanges together, a question clearly on his mind.

“Hey listen, I actually needed to ask you about the other night when my brother—”

He was cut off by the sound of the door slamming open, to reveal Sans, eye-lights sparkling, a huge grin plastered on his face.

“Papy, I am ready for my bedtime story!” he proclaimed, hands on his hips. Red seemed to take this as his cue to leave.

“Uh, never mind,” he mumbled. “Guess I’d better be going then, goodnight guys.” He turned towards the bedroom door.

“But Red, aren’t you going to stay?” asked Sans, observing his darker self hopefully.

“Nah, gotta get up early, I should go to bed.” Red’s eye-lights darted between the two brothers, and for a brief second Papyrus could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of something that looked like envy, but it was gone so quickly he decided he must have imagined it. “See ya guys.” Not waiting for a response, Red turned and left.

Sans beamed up at Papyrus expectantly, eye-lights starry. Papyrus chuckled.

“So, what’s it gonna be bro?” he asked, walking over to the bookshelf against the wall, “Knights, or, uh, assassins?” Papyrus eyed the collection of books dubiously. Most seemed to be rather macabre, not exactly fit for a bedtime story. But Sans didn’t seem perturbed.

“I don’t mind, Papy,” he said, “I’m just glad you’re here.”

He wrapped his arms around Papyrus’ waist in a tight embrace, causing Papyrus to wince slightly. But after a few surprised seconds, he returned the hug, his soul warming at his brother’s affection.

“I’m glad you’re here too, bro,” he said.

Sans ended up choosing a book about a monster princess, who turned to the life of a warrior after her family was savagely murdered, seeking revenge on their killer. It was rather a brutal book, but neither Sans nor Papyrus minded too much. Papyrus enjoyed these precious moments, they gave him some semblance of normality. He held his brother close, before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day! (◠‿◠✿)  
> Just wanted to get this one out since the last one was a bit of a filler chapter. This one is also sort of a two part thing with the next chapter, so I'll try and post that one soon!  
> Thank you so much for reading xx

It was still dark outside when Papyrus awoke.

Sans had fallen asleep next to him, pushing Papyrus to the edge of the bed sometime in the night. His little brother’s arm was sprawled across his waist, and his head was nuzzled into the side of his chest, mouth hanging slightly open. Papyrus gazed at him fondly for a few minutes, before deciding that he wasn’t feeling very tired, and should head downstairs and get some breakfast.

With some effort, he gingerly removed his brother’s arm, and carefully lifted himself from the bed. Sans stirred slightly, and mumbled something in his sleep, but didn’t wake. Papyrus crept across the bedroom floor, avoiding the clutter, and pulled his sneakers on, before slipping out into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind him.

He decided to freshen up in the bathroom before heading downstairs, and sauntered over to the door which stood in the middle of the hallway, between the two bedrooms. Once inside, Papyrus noticed how clean this bathroom was in comparison to the one in his own universe, and he grimly remembered what Red had said the previous night about keeping his room tidy.

After rinsing his face with water, Papyrus stood up straight and examined himself in the mirror. He looked strangely gaunt, the bone under his eye sockets slightly darker than the rest of his face, making him look weary. Papyrus cautiously lifted the hem of his hoodie, until he could see his scarred ribs below. He grimaced at the sight of them. The gash was deep, although it wasn’t bleeding, and parts of it had healed, leaving only a faint red line. There were still many areas where the bone was splintered and bloodstained though, giving it a grisly look.

“You should really let me take another look at that,” said a gravelly voice.

Papyrus jumped, dropping his hoodie back down over his ribs.

He looked up to see Edge standing in the doorway, already dressed in his armour. A concerned expression painted his scarred features, red eye-lights observing Papyrus closely.

“What? Uh, no it’s okay,” he said, startled. “I’m, uh, finished in the bathroom, sorry, I’ll get out of your way.” Papyrus hurried past Edge, only to be stopped by a gloved hand on his shoulder.

“Papyrus,” said Edge, voice low and calm, “I know you have reservations about me, but really, I can help you.”

Papyrus looked at Edge, who was an inch or two taller than he was, and felt the weight of those ruby eye-lights boring into him.

“Thank you,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, “but really, it’s fine.”

Edge frowned.

“You don’t seem fine,” Edge commented, and Papyrus cringed inwardly, remembering his appearance in the mirror.

“It’s uh, it’s just because I’m a one HP monster,” Papyrus offered, trying to sound convincing, “I take a bit longer to heal, that’s all.”

Edge scrutinised him for a few long moments, and Papyrus tried not to flinch under his stare.

“Very well,” Edge finally said, “but, if you should change your mind, all you need to do is ask.”

“Right,” said Papyrus, feeling flustered, “thanks.” He turned to leave before Edge’s voice stopped him

“Papyrus,” Edge called, voice low and commanding. Papyrus turned. Edge was frowning slightly. “Trust is important in this house,” he said, “keeping secrets is ill-advised, I hope you understand that.”

Papyrus felt a weight crushing his soul. He opted for a simple nod, trying not to let his neutral expression waver. Edge examined him for a couple more seconds, before turning and heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Papyrus let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, and made his way downstairs.

Red was still asleep on the couch, snoring loudly.

Papyrus tiptoed past him, and into the kitchen, feeling a sudden pang of hunger. The kitchen was rather small, much like his own, which Papyrus liked. Unlike his kitchen, however, this one was almost barren of any food, which Papyrus did not like so much.

Papyrus scoured the cupboards, trying to find cereal of some sort, but coming up empty handed. He opened a small cupboard, which was situated in the corner, revealing what appeared to be a collection of various alcohols, including a large bottle of bourbon, and several smaller bottles of whiskey and other drinks. Papyrus smiled to himself. He’d certainly have to remember this for later.

After searching for what felt like ages to his gnawing hunger, Papyrus finally managed to find a packet of instant noodles. Not exactly a great form of sustenance, but Papyrus figured they would do. Deciding that he’d prefer to eat them dry, he got a bowl out of one of the cupboards, feeling that it would be better not to leave a mess. Edge struck him as someone who valued cleanliness.

He’d just finished eating the noodles, which slightly lessened the pain in his ribs, as food usually did, temporarily, when he heard the kitchen door opening. He looked up to see Red enter, yawning.

“Oh hey Stretch, you’re up,” Red said, barely glancing at Papyrus.

“Yeah,” he said, “your brother gone?”

“Yeah, just left.” Red began shuffling around the kitchen, grabbing a bowl from one of the drawers.

“Hey, why do you call me Stretch?” Papyrus asked, suddenly curious, “and I’ve heard you call my brother Blue, as well.”

“What? Oh, yeah ‘s what the Sans from Undertale calls ya,” Red said, shrugging and stifling another yawn. “Guess it makes it less confusing. Can’t all go around being called Sans and Papyrus. ‘S why me and Boss have nicknames too. But they kinda started to stick after a while, so we just use 'em most of the time. Sound more badass.”

“Right,” said Papyrus.

Red opened a cupboard and withdrew a large bottle of mustard, squeezing a big helping into the bowl he was carrying. He then retrieved a spoon from the sink, and sat across from Papyrus, digging into the mustard like it was the first meal he’d ever eaten.

Papyrus grimaced.

“Don’t suppose you have any honey lying about?” he asked, regarding Red with slight disgust.

“Yuck, that sweet stuff? No thank you,” said Red, pulling a face.

“Seriously?” Papyrus gave Red a skeptical look. “You can stomach that vile stuff but you don’t like honey?”

Red frowned at him from above his bowl.

“’uck off,” he said, voice muffled by a mouthful of mustard.

Papyrus chuckled, then winced slightly as he was reminded of the pain in his ribs. Red’s expression morphed into concern.

“You didn’t let Boss heal that again for ya?” he asked, frowning.

“No, I, uh, it’s not that bad,” Papyrus said awkwardly, looking away. Red seemed to sense his discomfort, because he didn’t pursue it further.

They sat in silence for a minute, while Red continued to wolf down his bowl of mustard.

“So Red,” Papyrus ventured, “can I ask you about something?”

“’sup?” said Red, without looking up.

“It’s about the Machine, your one specifically.”

Red stopped eating.

“Oh.”

“Well, my brother and I will obviously be needing to get back,” Papyrus continued, “so I was wondering if you could show it to me. I’m assuming you know how it works, pretty much the same way the rest of them do right?”

Red looked away.

“Um, yeah it does…” he said. “Or at least, it did. It’s, uh, stopped working.”

Papyrus felt his eye-lights go out.

“What?”

“’m sorry Stretch, I don’t know what to tell ya, it just stopped working a few days before you guys arrived.” Red looked troubled.

“Well, why has it stopped working?” Papyrus felt the tension in his own voice, unable to contain his anxiety.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really looked at it,” Red admitted. “Me ‘n Boss, we don’t really get involved in the whole universe jumping stuff that often. So ya know, I sort of figured it didn’t really need to get fixed right away. Not until we needed it, at least.” Red fell silent, avoiding Papyrus’ steely gaze.

“Okay, well now you have a reason to fix it,” Papyrus said, failing to keep the harshness out of his tone. “Me and Sans have to get out of this place, Red, we can’t stay here.”

“Yeah, I get ya, Stretch, but I don’t know how to fix it. Hell, I don’t even know what’s wrong with it.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know how to fix it?” Papyrus asked, sharply. “Didn’t you have to fix it to get it working in the first place?”

Red looked sheepish.

“No, uh, Sans, uh, actually did it for me,” he said quietly, looking down, “Sans from Undertale.”

“Oh.”

Papyrus felt a slump in his soul.

“But hey, it’s not a problem with you here, right? You must know how to fix it,” said Red, expression lightening slightly. “You fixed your one didn’t you?”

Papyrus shook his head.

“I’m in the same boat as you buddy, Sans did it for me.”

“Shit,” Red muttered.

They sat in silence for a few moments, a dreary atmosphere clouding the room.

“Well, hey, I mean, I’m sure we could figure it out, right?” said Red, hopefully. “How hard could it be?”

“Sans said it took him years to figure out,” said Papyrus, dryly.

Red's smile faded.

“Ah.”

“Yep.”

Silence fell once again, and Papyrus felt a heavy weight in his soul. He had been trying to get his brother away from danger, but instead had only led him into more danger. This universe had a reputation. Papyrus had heard plenty of stories from Undertale Sans, who had visited Underfell a couple of times. It was a nasty place and his visits had been brief, he’d said, and he’d only ever spoken to Red and Edge, not risking interacting with any other monsters. Papyrus wasn’t sure he and his brother would last long here.

Sensing Papyrus’ despair, Red stood up and walked around to where Papyrus was sitting. He rested a hand gently on the taller skeleton’s shoulder.

“Hey, pal, it’ll be alright,” he said. “We’ll figure out that Machine. There’s two of us, right? Sans was all alone. And we already know some stuff about it, since we’ve used it before. We’ll fix it.”

Papyrus looked up at Red, who was giving him a small smile. He returned it with one of his own.

“Well, I guess there’s no harm in trying,” he said. Red nodded, and turned to leave the room, but Papyrus stopped him, capturing his sleeve. “Red wait, there’s something else…”

Red turned to regard Papyrus quizzically.

“What’s up?”

Papyrus gazed at him intently.

“What do you know about resets?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The follow up to the last chapter. Hope you enjoy!  
> And thank you all so much for your wonderful comments, they really make my day and keep me motivated ٩(^‿^)۶

Red froze. He’d been dreading this conversation, unsure how much this strange, gentler version of his brother knew. He decided to play it cool.

“Resets?” he said, contorting his features into what he hoped was a confused expression. “What’s that?”

Papyrus raised his brow bone, clearly not buying his act.

“Red,” he said. “You must know. There’s a human in this universe right?”

Red cringed inwardly.

“Yeah…” He looked away from Papyrus.

“So then there must be resets.”

Red scowled, conceding.

“Yes, fine, there are – but not that often. The kid has never made it past… my bro.” Red fell silent, feeling uncomfortable.

“Oh.” Papyrus was looking slightly uncomfortable too. “And have they ever, uh, y’know, killed anyone?”

Red looked back up at Papyrus, surprised.

“Killed anyone? No, never. In fact, they hardly ever even leave the Ruins. Why? Has yours?”

Papyrus looked somber. It didn’t suit his normally casual demeanour, Red decided.

“Almost every time,” Papyrus admitted, voice barely a whisper, “and almost every monster as well.” He fell silent, suddenly not seeming to want to discuss this anymore.

“Huh, well there’s irony for ya. In a world of ‘kill or be killed’ the kid decides to be merciful. But when it comes to a world of honey and blueberries, they go on a murderous rampage.” Red smiled humourlessly. “So is that where you got that wound?” he asked, casually, “the human?”

Papyrus looked at him, startled.

“Heh, figured as much,” said Red, nonchalant.

“H-how did you know?” Papyrus asked in bewilderment, golden-orange eye-lights flaring slightly.

“Well, didn’t know it was from the human in particular, but when your bro told me you didn’t have it before you got here… figured it must have something to do with a reset,” Red explained.

“Wait, are you telling me—does this kind of thing happen a lot?” Papyrus asked.

“Not really, but it can happen, I’ve heard of it happening in some of the other universes – if the kid doesn’t do anything after resetting, if you leave before they have a chance to use their uh, Determination or whatever, you’re returned to the state you were in before the reset.”

Papyrus’ sockets went empty.

“But, my brother – he was dead before the reset… do you think…”

Red suddenly realised the implication of what he’d said, and shook his head quickly.

“Nah, don’t think it works that way. If someone is brought back to life, that can’t be reversed. I guess, since his soul technically didn’t exist before the reset—” Papyrus winced “—then he isn’t seen as something that needs to be reset, it’s like he wasn’t part of your universe at all, so the reset doesn’t recognise him. Does that make sense? Probably not. I don’t understand it all that well myself, only from what I’ve read... and heard from some of the other Sanses, it’s never happened to me personally.”

“Why doesn’t it happen more often?” asked Papyrus, “I mean, surely at some point someone would’ve realised…”

“It only happens if you travel to a different universe, I think, and not all of the other universes have discovered that ability yet,” Red explained. “I’ve never heard of it happening any other way.” Still seeing Papyrus’ doubt, Red decided to lighten the mood. “I did hear one story, about Sans from, uh… Underlust,” he said, grinning, “he, uh, hadn’t removed a certain, um, appendage of his before the reset, and well, he arrived in another universe, um, quite… well endowed.” Red snickered.

Papyrus raised his brow bone, the familiar lazy smirk returning to his features. “Hmm, you know, that story sounds kind of familiar,” Papyrus said, and Red’s grin faltered. “Yeah, you know what? I seem to recall hearing it from Underlust Sans… funny though, in his account of the story, he wasn’t the one standing in the middle of Snowdin with his glowing red dick out.”

Red flushed a bright shade of crimson, cursing himself, and Papyrus preened.

“Hehe, that was always one of my favourite stories,” he said with a chuckle. “Lucky for you, Underlust Sans refused to tell me who it was, as much as I begged him to. Unlucky for you though - you basically just confessed. I didn’t know the whole boner thing had something to do with a reset though… I guess you could say you were caught _red-boned_.”

Red whacked Papyrus on the arm, causing him to wince slightly.

“Remind me not to try and cheer you up again,” Red said, glowering at the taller skeleton.

“Asshole,” Papyrus mumbled, still grinning, but his teeth were clenched in a slight grimace, a hand hovering over his ribs. Red suddenly remembered that Papyrus was still hurt, and cringed inwardly.

“Oh, shit, sorry,” he said, “I forgot about your, uh, injury.” Papyrus waved him off, but sat back down at the table; Red took a seat next to him. “Boss, uh, told me you were still pretty bad.”

Papyrus looked up, scowling.

“He told you?”

“No secrets in this house, remember?”

Papyrus regarded him with skepticism.

“Oh really?” he questioned, “So, when are you planning on telling him about the resets then?”

Now it was Red’s turn to get defensive.

“Hey, you know it’s for his own good,” he said, “and besides, you haven’t told your brother either, have you?”

Papyrus looked down. “I wouldn’t want to put him through that.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Red conceded.

They both fell silent, an uneasy atmosphere filling the room. Red decided to break the silence with a question that had been bothering him this past week.

“Stretch, last week, when my brother interro—uh, questioned you, what sort of stuff did he ask?”

Papyrus looked up at him, surprised.

“Why do you wanna know?”

“I—just tell me, please.”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Not much,” he said, “just the basic stuff, why we came here, what universe we’re from, that sort of stuff.”

“But you didn’t mean to come here,” said Red. “You were trying to get to Undertale.”

“Well, yeah, I guess.”

“Why?” Red asked.

“Why what?”

“Why were you trying to get to Undertale, Papyrus?” Red held the taller skeleton’s gaze.

“I didn’t tell your brother…” Red raised a brow bone, “…and I’m not telling you either, so drop it,” Papyrus said, looking irritated.

“Does it have something to do with resets?” Red continued, not eager to back down.

Papyrus flinched.

Red noticed, and decided to probe. “So it does? Then it must be something to do with the human.”

“Red, don’t.” Papyrus’ eye-lights had disappeared, sockets black and empty.

“But, why would you be scared of the human? I mean, you said they’d killed monsters before, but…” Red trailed off suddenly. “It’s your brother, isn’t it? They said they’d hurt Blue, didn’t they?”

Papyrus looked away.

“Yeah,” he murmured. Red could tell that Papyrus was still hiding something, but he could also sense Papyrus’ reluctance to continue this line of conversation, so he decided to let it go, sighing.

“Alright,” he said, “so what else did my brother ask?”

“Um, not much. Well, uh, he did want to know about my HP.” Papyrus looked sheepish.

“Ah, let me guess…” Red did a quick ‘check’ of the other skeleton, to reveal his stats, not failing to notice the way Papyrus shuddered as he did so.

**Papyrus**

**LV: 1**

**HP: 1**

**ATK: 1**

**DEF: 1**

**Seems like free EXP.**

“One HP,” said Red. “Well, you’re not leaving the house with those stats.”

Papyrus scoffed.

“Thanks for the concern, but I can take care of myself.”

“Heh, I’m sure you can, bud, but we don’t need to draw attention to you and your brother, and you’re just a walking target.”

“That’s another thing,” said Papyrus, choosing to drop the issue for the moment, “neither you nor your brother seemed surprised about my HP.”

“Yeah,” said Red, “I used to be a one HP monster too, before I gained some LOVE.”

“Right,” said Papyrus, suddenly looking weary.

Red felt a slight flare of irritation.

“Hey look, just because everything is sunshine and rainbows in your universe, doesn’t mean we all have it so good,” he snapped, “I HAD to kill to survive, alright? I don’t need your judgement.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Papyrus muttered.  Red still felt annoyed, but he decided to change the topic back to his brother’s interrogation.

“So, um, anything else important my bro asked ya?”

“Nah, that was pretty much it,” said Papyrus.

“Nothing about resets? You sure you didn’t tell him anything?” Red asked intently.

“No, of course not,” said Papyrus, and Red breathed an internal sigh of relief. “My own brother doesn’t know, I wasn’t sure if yours did either at the time. I didn’t bring it up.” Red felt relief wash over him. He’d been worried Papyrus might inadvertently reveal details about resets to Edge. It was difficult keeping secrets from his brother - mostly because he was so observant, but Red also didn't like lying to him. He knew how important trust was, especially in their universe.

Papyrus nodded in agreement, and they sat in silence for a few moments before something seemed to occur to Papyrus and he perked up.

“Hey,” he said, “you don’t happen to have any cigarettes around, do you?”

Red grinned.

“Nah, but I have something better,” he said.

“Oh?” Papyrus looked doubtful.

“Pal,” Red said, grinning wider, “you’re in for a real treat.”


	9. Chapter 9

Papyrus wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting but it certainly wasn’t this.

“Dog treats?” He raised his brow bone skeptically. “I mean, they have them in my universe, but aren’t they meant for, well, dogs?”

“Heh, that’s what they want you to think,” Red said, eyeing him with a smirk.

They were standing outside Red’s bedroom, voices hushed, as Sans was still sleeping inside.

“Okay,” said Red, “game plan. I’m gonna go in and get the dog treats, you’re gonna stay by the door. I don’t want your brother… I dunno, sensing your presence or whatever.”

Papyrus snorted.

“Sensing my presence?” he asked, smirking dubiously.

“Hey! You have no idea how difficult it is to get him to stay asleep when he keeps begging to his big brother, the Blueberry is a nightmare,” Red said in a sharp whisper. “You know he just slept on the floor next to the sofa the first two nights you were here?”

Papyrus felt guilty all of a sudden, feeling an orange flush creeping onto his cheeks.

“Oh,” he said, not sure what to say.

“Yeah.” For a moment, there was something deep in Red’s crimson eye-lights, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He turned to the door, slowly opening it, and entered the room, wordlessly gesturing for Papyrus to follow.

As soon as he entered the room, Papyrus’ attention was drawn to his little brother, who was still fast asleep on the bed. His limbs were sprawled out, with one leg hanging off, and his mouth was hanging open, a slight trail of cyan drool dripping down onto his pillow.

Papyrus smiled fondly.

“Hey, you—hmph!” His words were muffled by Red’s rough, scarred hand slapping over his mouth.

‘ _Quiet’_ , Red mouthed, before turning and treading as lightly as was possible for the stocky skeleton, over the various items of clothing scattered on the floor. He stopped when he reached the closet, opening it and producing a small wooden box. He gave Papyrus a thumbs up, and began to pace delicately back towards the door.

When he walked past the nightstand, his elbow knocked the lamp, causing it to wobble and topple over, with a small _thump_.

Papyrus saw Red mouth ‘ _fuck’_ , freezing in place, and staring apprehensively at Sans.

Sans stirred, giving a small whine in his sleep, but he didn’t wake up, merely turning over so that he was almost face-down on the pillow.

Both Red and Papyrus let go of the breaths they’d been holding, and Red walked, _very carefully,_ over to where Papyrus was standing by the door, leading them both out, and then closing it very slowly and gently behind them.

“Whew, that was close,” Red said, flashing his sharp-toothed grin, “but oh, so worth it. If nothing else, I bet these will help with your pain.” He lifted the lid of the small box, to reveal what looked like a set of bone-shaped cigars. “Man, this is gonna be sweet, I’ve never had anyone to share these with. Well, unless you count Doggo, but he isn’t great company.”

“I’m guessing your bro doesn’t smoke?” Papyrus questioned.

“Hell no,” Red said, shaking his head, “he doesn’t even know I do. He’d kill me. We’ve gotta smoke these outside.”

“Thought I wasn’t allowed to leave the house,” Papyrus said, smirking down at Red.

Red rolled his crimson eye-lights.

“Please. I know you’re a weakling but I’m sure even a pathetic one HP monster such as yourself can survive taking two steps outside. Besides, I’ll be with you, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not worried,” said Papyrus, “I have you protecting me.” Papyrus grinned cheekily.

Red’s cheek bones flushed crimson.

“Shut up.” He turned and began to walk down the stairs. “And stop smirking,” he added, “don’t make me punch you again.”

Papyrus continued to smirk as he followed the shorter skeleton outside. It was a little later in the morning now, and light outside. At least, what passed as light in this universe. There was a constant gloom to the atmosphere.

Unlike his own house back in Underswap, this one had a front porch, on the corner of which stood a bench.

“Well this is homely,” Papyrus commented in surprise.

“Boss says the wooden deck makes it easier to hear enemies coming,” Red explained, “and the bench is in case we need someone to guard the house in case of attack, that way they’re dead before they can get inside.”

“Well, shame on me for not expecting it to be something ridiculously morbid like that,” Papyrus said, rolling his eye-lights.

They took a seat on the bench, and Red produced a lighter from the pocket of his jacket.

He offered one of the treats to Papyrus.

“You want the first go?” he asked, and Papyrus shrugged and took it, placing it between his sharper canines.

Red lit the end and Papyrus took a long drag, the strength of the treat immediately apparent.

“Whoa,” he said, slightly stunned, blinking.

“Hehe, what did I tell ya,” said Red, grinning. “I don’t know why they keep these to the dogs in your universe, these things were made for sharing.” Red took the treat from between Papyrus’ teeth, and inhaled some of the smoke from his breath. He too took a drag, sighing as he breathed out, a relaxed expression decorating his normally harsh features. “Damn, this shit’s good,” he said.

Papyrus grinned as he took another drag, and he and Red began to pass the dog treat back and forth between them.

“Man I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this for so long,” said Papyrus, as he passed the treat back to Red.

“What, getting high?” asked Red, his eye-lights already slightly hazy. Or maybe it was his own eye-lights. Papyrus couldn’t really tell.

“Nah, me and Undyne used to get high sometimes,” Papyrus said, “just never on anything this strong.”

Red gave him a disbelieving grin.

“Undyne got high?” he asked, chuckling his gravelly laugh.

“Hey, being the Royal Scientist comes with its tolls,” Papyrus said, “cut her some slack.”

Red continued to snicker.

“Man I cannot imagine Undyne getting high,” he said. “I would pay gold to see that.”

“Or Edge,” said Papyrus, failing to suppress a giggle.

“Oh, hell,” said Red, laughing along with him.

After they’d moved onto the second treat, Papyrus decided that maybe it would be a good idea to move onto the floor, it looked rather comfortable. He lifted himself off the bench, and flopped down onto the wooden deck, realising he couldn’t feel the pain in his ribs anymore. He couldn’t feel anything at all in fact, only a light, happy fluttering in his soul.

“Hey, don’t be selfish,” he said, glancing up at Red, who was holding the dog treat. He reached to pluck it from his hand, but Red pulled it away.

“Hey, no offence bud, but I think you’ve had enough,” he said. “You seem like kind of a lightweight.” Red smirked at him, eye-lights glinting mischievously.

Papyrus glowered, insulted.

“Am not,” he whined.

Red’s response was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. They both glanced over to see Sans emerging, all dressed up in his blue battle-body and appearing lively, blue eye-lights sparkling, his bandana wrapped around his neck. When he noticed Red and Papyrus though, his expression darkened.

“Oh, hey bro,” Papyrus drawled, “you’re awake.”

“Yes, brother!” he proclaimed. “I have been awake ever since you and Red came traipsing into my room in search of your… bone cigars,” he said uncertainly, eyeing the treat clasped between Red’s phalanges. Red chuckled and Papyrus thought he heard him mutter ‘ _bone cigars’_ under his breath.

“You woke him up!” Papyrus said, glaring at Red.

“Nuh uh, it was you! With your… presence,” Red said, stifling a snort.

Papyrus rolled his eye-lights and turned back to his brother, who was looking profoundly irritated.

“Sorry bro, didn’t mean to wake you,” he said. Sans sighed.

“I am not bothered about that Papy, I’m bothered because you’re getting high! With Red! And you’re outside! Do you know how dangerous it is here? And you’re still hurt!” Sans folded his arms over his chest, starry blue eye-lights wide.

“Nah, bro, I’m not hurt,” Papyrus said, stifling a yawn, “it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Sans huffed.

“That’s because you’re high!”

“So it’s a good thing then?”

Sans made an exasperated sound.

“Mweh! I’ve had enough of this, you’re coming inside!” The small skeleton marched over to Papyrus, heaving him off his feet with some effort, and leading him towards the front door.

He was just about to turn the knob when Papyrus felt something heavy hit him from behind, knocking both himself and his brother to the ground. He landed on his back, and felt a heavy set of paws pressing on his chest, gasping as the sharp pain in his ribs suddenly returned. He also noticed a large axe, embedded in the wood, inches from his head.

“Intruders!” a voice barked.

“Do not worry, Master Red,” said another voice, “we will eliminate the intruders!”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, I'm flying home today, so I didn't have time to make it longer, but I might be able to post again a bit later (◠‿◠✿)  
> Thanks a million for reading! xx

Sans gave a yelp as he was knocked to the floor, noticing the same happening to his brother beside him. Sans recoiled as an axe embedded itself in the wood of the deck, right between himself and his brother - uncomfortably close to Papyrus’ head. A large paw slammed onto his chest, pinning him, and Sans looked up to be met with large set of gleaming red eyes.

It took him a couple of moments, but Sans soon recognised the monsters pinning himself and his brother to the ground. It was Dogamy and Dogaressa, members of the Canine Unit in his universe. Only these two were about as far from the friendly dogs Sans knew as you could get. Their armour was black, and bore many scratches and dents. Their fur was ragged, several scars visible underneath it. And their eyes were red, slanted, and menacing, full of aggression, giving them an almost feral look.

“Eliminate the intruders!” Dogamy cried again. Red abruptly jumped to his feet.

“Down, mutts!” he commanded, red eye-lights flashing. “You will not harm these two.” The dogs didn’t move, glancing at each other in confusion.

“But, Master Red…” began Dogaressa.

“…they are intruders!” finished Dogamy.

Red’s eye-lights intensified, the left emitting a crimson flame, he bared his sharp teeth, the golden one glinting in the light.

“I said, BACK. OFF,” Red snarled, his rough voice low and threatening.

The dogs hesitated for a moment, and Sans' eye-lights shot back and forth between them and Red frantically. But, after exchanging a look, they backed off, leaving Sans and Papyrus slightly shaken.

Sans immediately jumped up, and helped his brother to his feet. Papyrus’ eye-lights were dim, and his sockets were half lidded. He slumped slightly against his brother.

“Now, mutts,” said Red, placing himself between Sans and Papyrus, and the canines, “I suggest you return to your patrol, and do not bother me or my house guests again today, that’s an order.” Red’s eye-lights had returned to normal, and his voice was calmer, but he was still glaring at the dogs with such intensity, that Sans felt himself shrink slightly into his brother’s side.

The dogs immediately stood up straight, saluting Red.

“At once, Master Red!” said Dogamy.

“We apologise for attacking these pups!” said Dogaressa. And with that the two canines scampered off, leaving the three skeletons standing on the front porch.

“Well damn,” Papyrus drawled, casually, “that was some scary shit there, Red.” There was a lazy grin on his brother’s face, and the familiar sight of it relaxed Sans slightly, despite the circumstances.

Red didn’t seem amused though.

“Let’s get inside,” he said, gruffly.

Sans had to support his brother, who was stumbling slightly; whether it was because he was high, or because of the shock of the attack, Sans wasn’t sure. Red led them into the living room, and Sans followed quietly, seeing the tension in the stocky skeleton’s shoulders.

Once they were safely inside, Red locked the door, and turned to face Sans and Papyrus.

“How ya feeling, Stretch?” he asked, gesturing to Papyrus.

The lanky skeleton grinned lazily.

“Fine as a fiddle,” he said. “Though I could use a nap.”

Red frowned, his normally laid-back expression contorted.

“Sans, take your brother upstairs,” he said, tone serious. Sans obeyed, soul heavy with worry. Red was acting very strangely, and Sans didn’t like it. He was used to the rougher version of himself being easy going and casual.

Sans reached Red’s bedroom, and pushed open the door, Papyrus still slumped against him, only seeming half-conscious. The room was tidy, bed made, and clothes packed away. Sans had been appalled at the state of it when he’d awoken.

With some effort, he managed to haul his brother over to the bed, gently lying him down. Sans gazed down at Papyrus for a moment, who had fallen asleep, mouth hanging slightly open. He admired the gentle lines of his jaw, and the way his features were always so mellow. Sans ran the back of his hand over Papyrus’ cheek bone, appreciating the feeling of his brother’s smooth bone beneath his phalanges. Sometimes, Sans wished he and his brother were the only two monsters in the universe, living alone, with only each other for company. Sans liked the idea of having his brother all to himself; his favourite part of the day had always been when Papyrus read him his bedtime story, because it was _their_ time, and all of his brother’s attention was on him, and him alone. Sans knew he could never express these feelings to his brother, so instead he opted to just enjoy moments like these, when it was just himself and his big brother, where Sans could truly express the way he loved him with all his soul.

Sans’ thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Red entering the room. He ceased caressing his brother’s cheek, and turned to face his rougher self.

“How is he?” Red asked, standing hunched in the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets.

“He’s asleep,” said Sans quietly, “he seems alright though. A little shaken I guess.”

Red nodded, scowling.

“I’ll have those mutts,” he growled, voice quiet and husky, “they’ll pay for this.” Sans felt his soul twist with alarm.

“No!” he squeaked, then clapped a hand over his mouth, looking over at Papyrus. But his brother didn’t stir. “I mean, it’s okay, they were just trying to protect you, don’t-don’t hurt them, please.”

Red’s dark expression softened, and he looked at Sans in slight confusion.

“But… but they tried to kill you,” he said, puzzled, “don’t you want them to pay for that?”

Sans shook his head vigorously.

“No!” he whispered harshly. “I don’t want to see them get hurt over a silly misunderstanding. And they won’t do it again! You told them we were your friends.”

Something stirred in Red’s expression at Sans’ use of the word ‘friends’, but it vanished almost immediately.

“Alright,” Red conceded, “but I promise you, if they cross a line again, I’ll—”

“I got it, Red,” said Sans, smiling gently and placing a hand on Red’s shoulder, “you have our backs.”

Red glanced at Sans’ hand, a slight look of alarm on his face. Seeing his discomfort, Sans quickly removed it.

“Um, sorry,” he said. “Do you want to, uh, watch TV downstairs or something?”

“Uh, sure, yeah, sounds good.” Red looked slightly awkward, a cherry flush appearing on his cheek bones. Sans smiled at him again, and Red relaxed slightly. The two of them headed downstairs, not noticing the way Papyrus started to shift uncomfortably in his sleep.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (¬‿¬)

Papyrus woke up, gasping. He felt a thin sheen of cold sweat over his skull, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The nightmare which had awoken him had been a familiar one, involving a blue bandana, dusty, lying in the snow. Only this time, there had been blood, too. Soaking through the bandana, staining the white snow. And there had been laughter…

Papyrus was lurched out of his thoughts by a sudden intense pain in his ribs, causing him to groan. His head felt groggy and heavy, throbbing slightly. He glanced outside, a dim light visible through the window, indicating it was nearly nighttime. He must’ve been asleep for a while.

The ache in his ribs suddenly intensified and he stifled a small cry of shock at the pain, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. He cautiously lifted up his hoodie, wincing as it brushed against his injured bones. Glancing down, he grimaced at the sight of his ribs.

His wound was deep, strangely seeming even deeper than it had appeared this morning, cutting right into the bone to reveal the marrow. He could see where Edge had healed it, certain areas shallower, and others healed altogether, leaving only jagged red scarring. In some of the worst places though, the bone was slightly splintered, and fresh blood had now begun seeping from the marrow. Papyrus cringed inwardly when he remembered the sharp twinge of pain he’d felt when the dogs had attacked them. That had been while he was under the influence of the dog treats, his pain was now far more intense without anything to dull it.

Papyrus suppressed another groan as his ribs throbbed in agony. He tried to stand, but a sharp burst of pain caused him to gasp, and he collapsed back onto the bed. He tried resist the urge to cry out, the aching in his ribs intensifying by the second. He shoved a fist into his mouth as he felt a scream rising in his throat.

The pain was white hot, burning into his very soul, and searing through his ribs like they were on fire. The pain continued to increase, until it felt like his soul might burst with it, and unable to hold it in any longer, he gave in to his instincts and cried out, gasping for air, hands clutching the sheets of the bed.

Moments later, the door was flung open, revealing his brother, who was looking frantic, closely followed by Red, and behind him, Edge. Sans rushed over to his brother’s side, bright blue eye-lights panicked.

“Papy, what is it!” he cried, crouching down to examine his brother, who could only continue to groan in pain, phalanges almost tearing through the sheets they were clutching onto. Sans’ eye sockets widened in shock as he saw the gash across Papyrus’ ribs. “Papy, oh stars, no!” he shrieked, tears appearing in his eye sockets. “Edge! Edge, help him, please!” Sans looked up at Edge in distress, who had already kneeled down beside him, looking over Papyrus with concern, his sharp fingers hovering over his gentler self’s gash. Papyrus continued to squirm and sob, the pain starting to cause white spots to obscure his vision.

“Papyrus, listen to me,” Edge said, his rough voice calm, but stern, “you have to let me heal you. If you don’t, you’ll die. Do you understand me?” Edge surveyed Papyrus with his ruby eye-lights, unflinching.

There was a split second of silence, broken by another sharp cry from Papyrus.

“For fuck’s sake, just do it!” he gasped, forgetting his previous qualms about the intimidating skeleton. “Just do it, please!”

Edge didn’t hesitate, immediately pulling off one of his gloves, revealing sharpened phalanges. Red stepped forward, putting a hand on Sans’ shoulder, who looked up at him. Red beckoned him to back away, and Sans did, if not with slight reluctance.

Edge began running his hand just above Papyrus’ ribs. He then took a deep breath and his left eye socket flared up with crimson magic. A similar glow was being emitted from his fingertips, and the magic swirled around Papyrus’ ribs, embedding itself in the cracks and cuts, gradually beginning to smooth them over and repair them.

Papyrus’ whimpers slowly began to subside, and they were replaced by short gasps as he struggled to breathe through the feeling of Edge’s magic flowing through his body. In his slightly dazed state, Papyrus noticed a deep red glow through Edge’s shirt.

Papyrus suddenly felt a strange tugging sensation on his soul, and noticed Edge was meeting his gaze, red eye-lights boring down into his own, making him feel completely exposed. Edge’s focus flitted to Papyrus’ chest, and at first Papyrus thought he was simply focusing on his wound, until he noticed a faint orange glow. Papyrus froze.

His soul. It was responding to Edge’s healing magic.

Papyrus suddenly became aware that he and Edge were alone in the room – Red and his brother must have left without him noticing.

“Papyrus…” Edge murmured softly, meeting his gaze. “Do you want me to stop?”

Papyrus noticed that the tugging feeling in his soul was growing stronger, and that the glow in Edge’s chest had become brighter.

“No,” he said, his voice breathy, “don’t stop.”

Edge nodded, and closed his eyes, magic suddenly intensifying, causing Papyrus to gasp sharply. The ruby-red magic now illuminated the room. Papyrus watched as Edge ran his hands over his ribs, leaving them with a faint tingling sensation.

Edge opened his eyes, and reached his ungloved hand down to where Papyrus’ soul was radiating a warm glow. Papyrus had to suppress a moan as Edge’s fingers clasped around his soul, sending an unexpected jolt of pleasure through him. Papyrus felt his cheeks flushing hotly, but Edge didn’t seem to notice, his attention focused on the softer skeleton’s golden-orange, heart-shaped soul. He gazed at it for a moment, running his thumb over the smooth surface. Papyrus clenched his teeth in order to stop himself from whining at the contact.

Edge seemed to sense the other’s discomfort, because he quickly recomposed himself.

“S-sorry,” he muttered, a slight tinge of red touching his cheek bones. He used his gloved hand to reach down to his own chest, producing his ruby-red soul, which was pulsing with magic. He held both souls, one in each hand, alongside each other.

He observed Papyrus once more.

“Are you certain you wish for me to continue?” he asked, looking at Papyrus intently.

Papyrus only nodded, not trusting himself to make any sound that wasn’t indecent.

Edge returned his focus to the two souls, breathing in for a moment, then holding them closer to each other, until thin tendrils of magic began to extend from his own dark red one. The tendrils slowly enveloped his counterpart’s glowing orange soul, causing Papyrus to shudder slightly, a strange feeling passing over him. He felt a sudden warmth in his ribs, and looked down in awe as his wound began to heal, red magic washing over it in calming waves. The fractures sealed themselves, and the deep gash was entirely encased in a dark red glow, as the magic entered the wound.

Papyrus felt a sudden cool sense of calm pass over his soul, and his eye sockets closed involuntarily. He could feel Edge’s magic radiating through him, a gentle hum within his bones. He felt himself relaxing, almost to the point of unconsciousness, but at the same time he felt completely aware. Aware of the softness of the sheets he lay on, aware of the cool night air drifting in through a crack in the window, aware of the tall, harsh skeleton beside him, his violent nature superseded by his gentle healing magic, which Papyrus could feel coursing through him.

When he opened his eyes, he looked down to see the red magic dissipating, leaving a pale red scar across his ribs where the gash had been, but nothing more. His wound was completely healed.

He looked up to see the tendrils of magic from Edge’s soul retracting, and watched as Edge gently lowered Papyrus’ soul back into his chest, before doing the same with his own.

The red glow in the room faded, leaving them in the dim evening light from outside the window. They both remained silent, Papyrus still breathing heavily, recovering from the experience, while Edge stood up and stared out the window.

After a couple of minutes, the rougher skeleton broke the silence.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, an unusual edge to his voice.

Papyrus tried to meet his gaze, but Edge wasn’t looking at him.

“Better,” he said, “much better. I—I don’t feel any pain at all.”

“Hmm, that is good,” Edge said, voice low, still angled away from Papyrus. “I was worried it would not work, sometimes the receiving soul rejects the other, if they are... incompatible. Fortunately that was not the case this time.”

Papyrus remained silent, unsure what to say.

“I would have done that the first time I healed you,” Edge said, “but I did not want to do so without your consent. The soul is a… sensitive thing.”

Papyrus felt his cheekbones flush slightly, suddenly grateful Edge wasn’t looking at him.

“Uh, right,” he said, awkwardly, “thanks.”

They both remained silent for a few more moments, until Edge said “Well, if you are feeling better, then I had better go. I have some, er, important duties to attend to.”

“Um, right yeah, of course, go ahead,” Papyrus said, shifting slightly on the bed, hands fidgeting.

Edge nodded.

“Get some rest,” he said, before swiftly exiting the room, leaving Papyrus alone in the dark room. He could still feel Edge’s magic, warm, flowing through his body.

 

****

 

Edge let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding when he left the room in which Papyrus lay. Edge could almost still feel the warm glow of the other’s soul in his own, could almost sense his magic coursing through Papyrus in the other room. He felt hot, and his soul tingled with sensation. Edge had needed to get out of that room – he was painfully aroused.

He began walking down the hallway and was about to enter his own bedroom when a voice made him jump.

“Hey, Boss, is Stretch okay? Did it work?” Red and Sans were standing at the bottom of the stairs, the little Blueberry bouncing apprehensively on his feet.

“Yes,” said Edge, “it worked. Now, do not disturb me, I will be in my room.” He turned and opened the door, before something else occurred to him. “And I recommend you not disturb Papyrus either, he is resting.” Without waiting for a response, Edge marched to his bedroom, roughly shutting the door behind him, and locking it.

Finally alone, Edge kicked off his boots, sat on his bed, and began sliding off his leather pants, which had begun to feel abnormally tight the moment he’d held Papyrus’ soul. Edge felt a slight spasm of guilt at this. Papyrus had been vulnerable, baring his soul to the harsher skeleton, and Edge had basically gotten off on it. Well, he’d better get rid of this bout of arousal the best way he knew how.

He shed his pants, revealing a dark red pool of magic around his crotch, not having formed anything yet, but urging him to satisfy it.

Edge lay back on his bed, and ran his gloved phalanges over his pelvic bone, stimulating his magic. It didn't take long before it coalesced and formed a glowing red ecto-cock. Edge ran his hand down the shaft, causing himself to shudder slightly at the relief.

He tried to take his mind off his other self, who was sleeping in the room just next door – probably still feeling the after-effects of Edge’s magic in fact, coursing through his bones, claiming him—

Snap out of it, Edge! He scolded himself. He tried to think of something else to take his mind off of Papyrus. A past lover, perhaps? Edge had several, but none of them really seemed to interest his cock right now. He scowled slightly, and decided to let his mind go blank instead.

He ran his hand down his cock, picturing nothing but the glowing red appendage. He ran his thumb over the head, watching his own gloved hand as he pleasured himself. He heard his own breath, rough and deep, the only sound in the darkness.

He was suddenly reminded of someone else’s breathing. Quick, short gasps, panting heavily as Edge’s magic ran over his ribs, giving him life, protecting him. A stifled moan, as Edge ran a finger over the other’s soul. Wide golden-orange eye-lights, staring into his own. Edge could see Papyrus now, eye sockets lidded, mouth slightly open, orange magic from his soul leaking between Edge’s fingers, as he licked up every bit it he could, running his tongue over the other’s warm soul, hearing Papyrus’ cries of pleasure, taking the soul into his mouth…

Edge quickened the pace of his hand on his cock, which was now inexplicably hard.

Edge pictured Papyrus on his knees, Edge’s own hand pressing the back of his skull, guiding his head forward as he thrust slowly, in and out of other skeleton’s mouth, as he moaned around his cock, taking him all in, running his tongue over the slit, swallowing him…

Edge felt a sudden coil of pleasure rising inside him, pressure building in his pelvic area, his soul illuminating the room, urging him on.

Images flashed through his mind, Papyrus, panting and breathless, an orange flush across his cheek bones, lying sprawled out beneath him, uttering desperate whimpers, begging Edge, whining, moaning, gasping, as Edge fucked him, slowly, deeply, passionately, Papyrus moaning his name…

Edge gasped as he came, pale ruby magic spurting against his fingers. He continued to run his thumb over the head, until all of the magic had leaked out, then he slumped back onto his bed, closing his eyes.

A fresh wave of guilt crashed over him when he came to his senses. Damnit! That wasn’t supposed to happen. Edge stood up, changing into a fresh set of pants and discarding the other pair in the laundry basket in the corner of his room. He faced his bedroom door, leaning his hands against it, and frowned.

Edge had been aware of the risks of engaging in soul healing. It was known to be a rather intimate experience, often resulting in arousal. Edge wondered if Papyrus had experienced the same response he had…

He mentally slapped himself in the face. Stop it! He chastised himself. He should not be having these thoughts for the other skeleton. This had to just be the after effects of the healing, it would wear off soon.

Edge went to bed early that night, still unable to get Papyrus out of his mind. Unable to distract himself from the thought of his own magic, still working its way through the other’s bones, possessing him, taking him, marking him as Edge’s own. After many hours of tossing and turning, Edge finally fell into and uneasy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh damn! Some low key sin. Hope it wasn't too terrible ⊙﹏⊙ I've never actually written smut before.


	12. Chapter 12

The next few days in the Underfell brothers’ house were rife with tension.

Sans didn’t fail to notice the way Edge and Papyrus seemed to avoid each other, always excusing themselves when in the other’s company. Edge would wake up early – even earlier than he normally did – claiming he had to get to his patrol, and Papyrus would often stay cooped up in Red’s room until late in the morning. Edge didn’t join them for dinner anymore, alleging he simply didn’t have time, and only arriving home late into the night.

It worried Sans. He wasn’t sure what had occurred in that room the other night after he and Red had left, he knew little of healing, never having needed to dabble in the ability much himself, but he was certain it didn’t involve anything warranting such recoil from the two skeletons.

One day Sans asked, “Papy, did Edge… do something bad to you?” He had only been met with bewilderment from his brother.

“No, why would you think that?” Papyrus had said, looking perplexed.

This had further confused Sans, and he’d vaguely wondered if he should ask Edge what was bothering them so much. He’d quickly thought better of it though, feeling that the more violent skeleton would not take well to being put on the spot.

Well, at least his brother seemed to be a lot better physically, Sans mused. He no longer winced in pain every time he stood up, and he wasn’t sleeping all the time either. Also, with Papyrus healthy again, Edge had decided that Red should get back to his sentry duties. Sans knew this made Red happy. As much as his rougher self preached laziness, it had been obvious that Red had been going a little stir crazy, cramped up in the house.

Come to think of it, Sans was beginning to feel a little restless himself, not having been outside since arriving here, save for the incident with the Canine Unit. He wondered how Red would react if he asked him to let him go outside. Not well, he decided. Especially after what had happened with the dogs. There was still Edge. Though Sans wasn’t sure what his response to letting him leave the house would be.

Red still hadn’t told Edge about what had happened the other day with Dogamy and Dogaressa. He had sworn Sans to secrecy before Edge had gotten home, much to Sans’ annoyance. He hated keeping secrets. And he wasn’t very good at it either. Still, Sans had been trapped indoors for over two weeks now, and he felt he might go mad if he stayed inside this house much longer. So, his agitation overriding his caution, he decided to drop the question on Edge one evening.

Sans was waiting in the living room when Edge got home, practically bouncing on his feet. As soon as the door opened and Edge walked inside, Sans bounded up to him, standing as tall as he could, doing his best to exhume confidence. He still barely came up to Edge’s waist, but he was not deterred. He decided to start with the usual formalities.

“Good evening, Edge!” he said, grinning up at the tall skeleton. “How was your day?”

“Uneventful,” said Edge, tersely. He began to walk towards the stairs, but Sans darted in front of him, causing the menacing skeleton to look down at him with contempt. “What is it, Blue?” He sounded tired.

Putting his hands on his hips Sans bravely declared, “Edge, I have a matter I would like to take up with you!” Edge said nothing, still regarding him sourly, so Sans continued. “It is about me leaving the house. I would like to go outside.”

This seemed to surprise Edge, whose eye sockets widened slightly.

“And why would you want to do that?”

“Edge, my brother and I appreciate your hospitality, truly, we do! But with all due respect, we have been confined to this tiny house for two weeks! I don’t think I can take it much longer, I’m losing my mind! Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that allowing us to go outside – just for a little while – will solve this problem.” Sans looked up at Edge nervously, but kept his expression determined.

Surprisingly, Edge chuckled.

“Well, little Blueberry, I can’t say I blame you. This house does become rather dreary after a while. Very well, you may leave the house – but, only under the supervision of either myself, or my brother. And you are not to venture into town, it would be best, for the time being, if the other monsters did not see you.”

Sans couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Eye-lights sparkling, he flung his arms around Edge’s waist, causing the other to grunt in surprise.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Sans cried, happy tears pooling in his eye sockets. Edge gingerly detached the smaller skeleton from his waist and gave him a half smile, half grimace.

“Of course Sans,” he said, “now, where is my brother? I must speak with him.”

“He’s in the kitchen, making dinner,” said Sans. Edge nodded, and began walking towards the door at the opposite end of the room. Feeling confident from his success, Sans decided to try his luck with something else. “Edge?” he called, just as the scarred monster was about to reach the door. He turned.

“Yes, Blue?”

“Why are you and my brother not speaking? Did you two have a fight?”

To Sans’ surprise, Edge flushed slightly, his cheeks glowing a faint ruby red.

“What? Well—uh, n-no, nothing like that…”

“Do you… dislike him?” Sans asked, confused.

“What? No, of course not!” Edge was looking very uncomfortable all of a sudden, avoiding eye contact and shifting on his feet.

“But why have you two been avoiding each other?”

“W-what? No we haven’t! I mean, _I_ certainly haven’t, I cannot speak for your brother. Listen, Blue, I really must speak with Red, so if you will excuse me—” Without another word, Edge turned and entered the kitchen, still looking extremely flustered.

Well, that was odd, Sans thought. He shrugged if off, and decided to head upstairs and see how his brother was doing.

He’d better not be asleep!

 

****

 

Red looked up from the stove upon hearing the kitchen door opening. His brother entered, looking slightly confounded, a faint red glow on his cheek bones.

“Heh, that Blueberry catch you off guard?” he asked, as his brother took a seat at the table.

“W-what?” Edge looked up, alarmed.

“He said he wanted to ask you something,” said Red, raising his brow bone, “he looked like he was setting up to ambush you when I last saw him.” Edge’s face relaxed slightly.

“Oh, that. Yes, he wanted to know if I would allow him and his brother to go outside. I said I would, under supervision of course, that poor Blueberry has been confined to this house for weeks.”

Red felt his soul drop, eye-lights going out.

“Y-you said you’d let them go outside?” he asked, bewildered. “B-but Boss, it’s dangerous, they could—they could get hurt!”

Edge sighed irritably.

“Of course I am aware of that Sans,” he said, and Red flinched at the use of his real name, “that is why I told him it would only be allowed under strict supervision from either you, or myself.”

Red warred between the side of him that wanted to hide the truth about the incident with the Canine Unit, and the side of him that wanted to keep Sans and his brother safe.

“But-but something could still happen! We could be attacked or—”

“That is enough on the matter!” Edge snapped, coldly, and Red fell silent, hand twisting his studded collar uncomfortably. “I have given Sans my word. I am certain there will be no problems with either you or myself protecting them. Do you doubt your abilities brother?” Red winced, remembering the last time he had charged himself with their protection. “Anyway,” Edge continued, not waiting for a response, “I did not come here to discuss this. There is a more pressing matter at hand.”

Red immediately turned vigilant, recognising his brother’s serious tone.

“There has been some trouble, near the Core,” Edge explained. “Some of the monsters living there have been reporting some… disappearances.”

“Disappearances?” Red asked, a slight hint of alarm in his tone.

“Yes,” said Edge, pensively, “but that is not all. There have also reports of monsters turning rabid, killing at random.”

“That doesn’t sound like too much of a concern,” said Red, “I mean, plenty of monsters here are like that.” Edge shook his head.

“This is not like anything we’re familiar with,” he said. “No, this is more like… like they have no control. Like they’re doing it on pure instinct. Like killing is the only thing they’re capable of. It’s… troubling, to say in the least.”

Red felt an uneasy heaviness weighing on his soul.

“And there’s something else too,” Edge continued, “something to do with their souls. They’re not… right. There seems to be, I don’t know, some sort of corruption within them. Like a darkness.”

Red shuddered, his hand instinctively going up to his chest.

“And… the disappearances… how many have there been so far?” he asked.

“Eight. Although more reports come in every week. I didn’t think it was much to worry about at first, monsters are dusted all the time. But this is… strange. No dust has been found, and the missing monsters have all disappeared at roughly the same time of night – midnight.”

“How poetically ominous.”

“Indeed,” said Edge, dryly. “Anyway, I believe we need to take this up with Alphys, she may have some insight into why these monsters have been going feral. And Undyne trusts her.”

“You want me to go speak with her?” Red asked.

“Yes, I think that would be wise. In the meantime, I will speak with Undyne, and see if she has found any additional evidence.” There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs, cuing the arrival of the other skeleton brothers. “We will discuss this matter more tomorrow,” said Edge quietly, before turning to the door through which Sans and Papyrus had just walked.

“Edge! Red! We smelt a delicious aroma radiating through the house and concluded that the soup must be ready!” Sans was standing by his brother’s side, who slouched wordlessly beside him, lazy grin painting his features. Red noticed his golden-orange eye-lights flicker briefly to Edge. He hadn't been oblivious to the tension between the two taller skeletons over the past few days.

“Sure is,” Red said, turning off the stove and collecting four bowls from the cupboard. They all sat down and ate dinner, the conversation flowing freely, although there was an obvious awkwardness between Edge and Papyrus.

But, even amidst Sans’ lively chatter, and his groans at his brother’s terrible puns, all of Edge’s talk of feral monsters and corrupted souls could not be wiped from Red’s mind.


	13. Chapter 13

Sans woke up with excitement bubbling in his soul. Careful not to wake his brother, who was still asleep next to him, Sans clambered out of bed, and crept to the window, standing on his tip-toes to look outside. A gentle snow was falling, coating the ever wintery Snowdin in a fresh layer of white.

A thrill of enthusiasm coloured his cheeks, and he quickly got dressed, finishing by tying his blue bandana around his neck, and scampered downstairs. It was still early, so neither Red nor Edge had left yet. They were both sitting at the kitchen table, discussing something in lowered voices. They immediately fell silent when Sans walked in, looking up at him.

“Good morning, Edge, Red,” Sans said, nodding at each of them in turn, “I am ready to go outside!” Red’s face fell, and he looked away, leaving Sans with a sudden twinge of guilt at going behind Red’s back. His guilt quickly phased into disappointment when he saw Edge shake his head.

“I am sorry, Blue, but your journey outside will have to wait until this evening. My brother and I have some rather urgent matters to attend to.” Sans felt his face fall.

“Oh,” he said, quietly. Red suddenly looked worried.

“This evening?” he asked, looking at his brother. “Boss, are you sure it’s a good idea to let them go out at night? It’ll be dangerous when it’s dark.”

Edge seemed to consider this for a moment.

“Hmm, perhaps you are right, brother. It will be a lot more dangerous at night. Very well, you will take them out this morning, and then attend to your duties in the afternoon,” Edge declared. This only seemed to further amplify Red’s worry.

“B-boss? You want me to take them this—this morning?”

Edge gave his brother a sharp look.

“Yes, brother. Why? Is there a problem?”

“N-no.” Red slumped back into his seat, looking dejected. His phalanges idly twisted in his studded collar.

“Excellent,” said Edge, looking back up at Sans. “Do I need to remind you of the terms of our agreement?”

Sans shook his head.

“I remember,” he said, “do not go into the town, and stay away from any of the other monsters.” Edge inclined his head.

“And you are not to leave my brother’s sight at any time either, is that understood?” Sans nodded. Edge stood up, and walked towards the door. “Well, with that sorted, I will depart, I must meet with Captain Undyne at once.” He bid farewell to Sans and Red, before marching out the door. Sans heard the front door close behind him. He looked over at Red.

“So when shall we go?” he asked, eye-lights sparkling with glee. Red looked up at him with a dark expression.

“You went behind my back.” His sharp teeth were slightly bared. Sans’ face fell.

“I-I’m sorry, Red. But I knew how you would react! Especially after what happened with the Canine Unit.”

Red continued to glower at him.

“ _Because_ of what happened with the Canine Unit, you idiot! Something like that could happen again, you’re lucky I was there, otherwise you both would’ve been killed!”

“But you _were_ there,” Sans said, sighing in exasperation, “and you’ll be there again this time! We’ll be fine, Red. We won’t even go near any other monsters.”

“You’re damn straight you won’t.” Red was still glowering, but Sans put on a firm expression, determined not to let Red refuse him.

“You can’t back out, Red, your brother promised!”

Red scowled, looking defeated.

“I know,” he huffed. “Fine, I’ll take you. But, you have to stick by my side _at all times_ , no wandering off. And if I say to do something, you do it, no questions asked, got it?” Sans nodded. “Good. Oh, and if you get hurt, _I’ll kill ya._ ”

Sans beamed.

“Thanks Red! So, where are we going?” Red smiled, gold tooth flashing.

“I think I have the perfect spot. But first, go wake up your bro. He can’t stay here by himself.”

Sans obliged, scampering upstairs in excitement. Boy, he could not wait to finally get some fresh air!

 

****

 

Papyrus was still yawning when they arrived, Red teleporting them directly from the front porch. Papyrus watched as Sans gasped, taking in the sight around him.

It was Waterfall. Or at least, it seemed to be. There was something incredibly off about it. There was a strange stillness to the air around them, and the normally glowing reeds were slightly dim. The water was still bright, emitting that familiar strange luminescence, but it had a sort of murky quality to it. Papyrus noticed something else too, and it seemed Sans did as well, because his face fell slightly.

“The Echo Flowers,” Sans said, “why are they so quiet?”

Red regarded him with confusion.

“Quiet? What are you talking about? Of course they’re quiet, they’re flowers.” Sans gave him a wide-eyed look.

“You mean… they don’t usually whisper things? Things people have said?”

Red frowned.

“Er, no? Should they?”

Sans looked sad all of a sudden, and Papyrus felt a pang of sympathy in his soul. The Echo Flowers had always been one of Sans' favourite parts of Waterfall, perhaps of the entire Underground. What an awful world, so full of malice that the flowers themselves were too afraid to speak to each other. Sensing his brother’s gloom, Papyrus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Hey bro, it’s alright,” he said, voice soothing, “wanna take a look around? Bet I can catch more fireflies than you.”

Sans huffed a sigh of exasperation, but seemed to perk up.

“For the last time, Papy, they’re not fireflies, they’re wisps!” Papyrus gave his brother a mischievous smirk.

“Sorry bro, what was that? I didn’t quite hear you, maybe you shouldn’t _whisp_ er.”

Sans’ eye-lights flared up, and he aimed a smack at his brother, who casually dodged, and then began striding down the path, Sans trotting to keep up.

“Hey guys, don’t get too far ahead!” Red called, running to catch up.

Sans spent the next hour or so chasing the tiny glowing wisps which floated around the Echo Flowers, and sitting on the grass, running his hands through it. Papyrus saw him try to dip his toes in the water at one point, but Red pulled him back quickly, saying that he strongly advised against that. A couple of times, Sans tried talking to the Echo Flowers, seeming intent on getting a response out of them. But each time he tried, the Flowers only remained silent, bending gently in the breeze that passed through, and Sans looked disappointed. After a little while, he got bored, and Red let him play on his cell phone, but Papyrus heard him make Sans promise _not_ to use any of the social apps. Papyrus smirked, thinking he understood why.

While Sans sat on the grass, enraptured by one of the games on Red's cell phone, Papyrus and Red wandered around one of the bridged areas leading across the luminescent water. Papyrus watched his brother fondly, happy to see Sans's spirits lifted by some time outdoors. If he was honest with himself, he was actually quite happy to get out of the house too, especially now that he was healed. He wasn't sure if it was the house, or just the after-effects of the healing, but he felt like he could constantly sense Edge's magic, prickling all around him, and it was getting him all hot and bothered for some reason. It was nice to get outside and relieve some of the tension.

"So what's up with you and my bro?" Red asked, startling Papyrus out of his thoughts.

"What? Nothing." He felt an uncomfortable lurch in his soul. Red raised his brow bone.

"You two have been acting pretty weird recently. Did he show you his collection of weird sex toys or something?" Red smirked.

"W-what?" Papyrus felt an orange blush colouring his cheek bones. But he was still a little curious. "Your brother has a collection of weird sex toys?"

"Heh, nah, I was just messing with ya." Red raised his brow bone, giving Papyrus a slightly suggestive look. "Why, ya need some?" Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

"Hilarious. I'll pass."

Red chuckled, and Papyrus was grateful that he seemed to be letting the Edge issue drop.

"So what about your brother?" Red asked, and Papyrus looked at him in confusion.

"What about him?"

"How is he holding up? I know this universe can take its toll on you soft folk. And your bro's about as soft as they come."

A dark pit settled itself Papyrus' soul.

"Yeah, I guess he is... for now at least."

Red gave him a strange look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Papyrus looked over at his brother, who seemed to be distracted by a small, glowing moth fluttering past his face. His soul twinged at the sight of him, a deep ache resonating through it.

"Uh, nothing," said Papyrus, shaking his head. "It's just, being in this world for so long, it could... you know what? Never mind. Maybe we should get back." Red looked at Papyrus with concern, but then nodded.

"Yeah, guess you're right. Yo, Blueberry!" he called. "Time to go!"

Sans looked up from where he was sitting, disappointment in his eyes.

“Can’t we stay a little longer, Red?” he whined. Red shook his head fervently.

“No way, dude. We’ve already been here too long, we’re gonna draw too much attention.”

Sans huffed.

“I haven’t seen a single monster the entire time we’ve been here,” he said.

“That’s because you’re not looking hard enough, bud.” Red looked somber. “Come on, time to go.”

Papyrus walked over to his brother, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Come on, bro,” he said. “We’ll come back again another time, promise.” Sans still pouted, but obliged, taking his brother’s hand, and then Red’s, who used a short-cut, landing them safely on the front porch of the house.

When they entered the living room, they were greeted by the sight of Edge, who was standing with his arms crossed, eye-lights flaring and sockets narrowed. He did not look happy.

Red looked at him in surprise.

“Bro, what are you—”

“BROTHER, WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME THAT YOU WERE ATTACKED BY MEMBERS OF THE CANINE UNIT?” Edge was fuming, red sparks emitting from his left socket.

Papyrus could almost hear the moment Red’s soul dropped.


	14. Chapter 14

Red’s eye-lights went out, sockets blank. He could feel the tension in the room around him, squeezing his soul, which was thumping heavily. Edge’s rage seemed to permeate the entire vicinity.

“I-I...” Red stuttered.

“Well?” Edge glared at his brother with an intense ferocity, and Red’s hand went subconsciously up to his collar, twisting at it.

“I—how d-did you know?”

“Don’t be a fool brother. Dogamy and Dogaressa immediately reported the incident to Captain Undyne, who in turn questioned ME on the matter today. She is now aware that we have been harbouring two monsters in our house without informing her, all thanks to YOUR stupidity. Do you even understand the consequences of your actions?” Red trembled under his brother’s harsh stare, wishing for nothing more than to melt into the carpet below him, and disappear completely.

“I-I’m so s-sorry Boss,” he said, voice barely a whisper, “I—it was an accident, I didn’t mean—”

“It was my fault, Edge.”

Red looked up in shock, to see Papyrus regarding Edge calmly. Edge turned his wrathful gaze to the lanky skeleton in surprise, though the red glow of his eye-lights didn’t fade.

“I… was bored, so I, uh, went outside to get some fresh air…” Red was thankful that Papyrus had at least chosen to omit the part about the smoking. “Red came outside to get me, and he brought my brother to try and convince me after I refused. We were just heading in when we were attacked.”

A tense silence filled the room. Red was certain he could hear the sound of each individual snowflake hitting the roof outside. After some time, Edge sighed.

“That was very foolish of you, Stretch. But, it is in the past.” Red felt some of the tension leave his shoulders at these words, and a slight prick of resentment at how easily Papyrus had been let off. “Unfortunately, Undyne now wishes to meet the two of you.” Edge looked pointedly at Sans and Papyrus. “We will have to plan vigorously for this encounter. Undyne is not easily fooled.” He turned and began to walk towards the kitchen, beckoning for the others to follow him. “Come, I will prepare the two of you for your meeting with her. She wants to see us at her house this evening.” He entered the kitchen, and Sans followed, but Red stopped Papyrus by grabbing onto his sleeve firmly.

“Why did you do that?” he uttered, sharply, as Papyrus turned around in surprise.

“He was laying into you, Red, thought I’d save you the lecture.”

Red scowled.

“I didn’t need your help, I could have taken care of it.”

“That was your way of taking care of it?” Papyrus regarded him doubtfully, and Red averted his gaze, hand on his collar. “Look, Red, I know you don’t like lying to your brother, but he was pissed, and it managed to calm him down enough to get to the point. And you’re off the hook now.”

“I don’t need your fucking help,” Red growled, and pushed roughly past Papyrus and into the kitchen, where Edge and Sans were sitting opposite each other at the table. Red took a seat next to his brother, and Papyrus entered shortly after, sitting beside his own brother. Papyrus looked over at Red, but Red averted his gaze, scowling.

Neither Sans nor Edge seemed to notice the tension between the two of them though, and Edge spoke up.

“Alright,” he said, “there are several things you need to know before meeting Undyne. Firstly, she isn’t easily deceived, so it is best to stick with the truth, except for matters concerning the multiverse – she cannot know where you are really from. Secondly, it is likely she will ask you direct questions, where neither Red nor myself can intervene, so we will need to be prepared for that. And finally, whatever you say, DO NOT anger her. That will end badly for all those present.”

“Any specific topics we should avoid?” asked Papyrus.

“Anything pertaining to Doctor Alphys, the Royal Scientist, should not be mentioned – she tends to get rather protective. I would also advise against any threats. Not that either of you are particularly intimidating, but it is the principle of it.” Red smirked slightly. “If things start to go awry, Red or I will intervene. It would be best if you stay quiet in that situation. Oh, and she loves it when you compliment her on her athleticism - she's rather arrogant about her abilities in combat.”

Red suppressed a snort at this. He felt his brother and Undyne might have something in common in that respect.

“And-and what if she asks who we really are?” Sans piped up. “Won’t it be sort of obvious that we, erm, you know, look kind of similar?” Edge frowned for a moment.

“Hmm, we will have to tell her that you are distant relatives of ours, visiting from the Capital,” he said.

“You sure she’ll buy it?” asked Papyrus, looking dubious.

“Of course she will,” said Edge, slightly harshly. “Why, do you have any better ideas?”

“Yeah, we tell her the truth.”

There was a moment of stunned silence. Edge and Red looked at Papyrus in horror.

“No, under _no_ circumstances are we to tell her about the multiverse,” said Edge firmly.

Papyrus shrugged.

“The Undyne from our universe knew about them, so did Alphys. I don’t really see what the big deal is.”

Red saw a flash of red in his brother’s eye, and Edge regarded Papyrus coldly.

“Well, this isn’t your universe,” he said, icily. “I thought you would have learned that by now.” Papyrus’ eye sockets narrowed. “We will not be revealing any information about the existence of the other universes to Undyne whatsoever. That is my final word on the matter.”

Silence reigned for several long moments. Red noticed that Sans was looking nervous, glancing back and forth between his brother and Red’s. Finally, Papyrus shrugged.

“Whatever you say, Boss,” he said, smirking slightly.

Everyone froze, and a dead weight seemed to drop in the room.

Sans gave a small gasp, eye sockets wide. Red felt a surge of anger boiling in his soul, left eye socket flickering. There was a hot burning on his cheek bones, and he wanted nothing more than to lash out at Papyrus for being so cocky. Edge was the only one who remained impassive, regarding Papyrus coolly.

“Papyrus, I would like to speak with you in private,” he said, voice calm, but firm.

Papyrus shrugged, still smirking, and rose from his seat, following Edge out of the room.

Red could still feel himself fuming, red magic sparking from his eye sockets.

“Red? Are you alright?” Red jumped slightly at the feel of a gentle hand on his arm. He looked up to see Sans, eyes wide and concerned.

“Your brother has some nerve,” Red grumbled. He felt himself instinctively tugging at his collar once again, and vaguely wondered if he had a burn on his neck from the leather. He looked up at Sans, whose bright, starry blue eye-lights were observing him uneasily. “I-I’m sorry, Blueberry,” he said, feeling a twinge of shame.

“No, you’re right,” said Sans, and Red looked up in surprise. “My brother can be kind of… kind of a jerk, sometimes. When he wants to be.” Red chuckled.

“Guess he’s lucky he has you looking after him then.”

Sans preened.

“You know, you’re a good person, Red.” Sans was looking at Red with sincerity, and Red felt himself flushing slightly.

“Uh, thanks, Blue. So are you.”

Sans beamed, and Red felt a small surge of warmth in his soul at the smile.

 

 

****

 

Papyrus followed Edge out of the kitchen, expecting him to stop in the living room, but was surprised when he began to lead him up the stairs. Papyrus followed wordlessly, until they reached the top of the stairs, just outside Edge’s room. Edge pushed open the door and entered, indicating for Papyrus to follow.

It was Papyrus’ first time seeing his counterpart’s bedroom, and he glanced around curiously.

It was very simple. Dark grey curtains, to match the walls, were pulled over the window, and a plain black desk and chair stood against the wall to his left. There was a double bed against the right wall, sheets also black, and the nightstand was bare save for a lamp. There was a laundry basket next to the cupboard, inside which Papyrus could see various black and red items of clothing. The walls were bare, and the entire room had a meticulously tidy feel to it.

“Nice den,” Papyrus commented, a small smirk making its way back onto his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets and regarded Edge, who was eyeing him, sockets slightly narrowed.

“Papyrus, why did you lie to me earlier?”

Papyrus’ sockets widened for a moment, but he recomposed himself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stated, keeping his tone casual.

“I know you lied to protect my brother. Undyne told me the canines reported the presence of… dog treats. You two were high, weren’t you?”

Papyrus cringed inwardly.

“Uh…”

“Hm, I thought so. My brother thinks I am unaware of his smoking habit, but he isn’t very good at keeping secrets.” Papyrus felt a small lurch in his soul, his mind briefly flickering to the resets. “I allow him to continue, as long as it doesn’t interfere with his duties. In this case, it did, of course.”

Papyrus wasn’t sure what to say. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, and despite the circumstances, suddenly wished he had a cigarette.

“Papyrus, I understand that you were just trying to protect my brother, but I must ask that you do not get involved in matters that are between him and myself.”

“Oh, so I’m just supposed to sit by while you blatantly push him around?”

“The way I treat my brother is for his own good. It’s what keeps him safe.”

Papyrus scoffed.

“Keeps him safe? How in the world does making him fear his own brother keep him safe?”

Edge gave him an apathetic look.

“Once again, your ignorance to the functioning of this universe is blinding you. Do not get involved in what you do not understand.”

Papyrus felt something inside him snap.

“Oh, I think I understand perfectly. You like to feel powerful, you love being in control, feeling as if you’re above others, feeling as if you _possess_ them, like they _belong_ to you. I’ve seen the way Red practically quakes when you enter the room, the way he so easily submits when you raise your voice. I’ve seen him fidgeting with that collar that _you_ make him wear, so you can feel like you _own_ him. You love control so much that you push your brother down so that you can rise up, so that you can ‘be the bigger monster’. Well, guess what? You’re not the bigger monster. You’re insignificant. You’re _nothing._ Nothing more than a bully, an _abuser._ Red deserves so much better than you.”

Papyrus stood still, breath coming out hard, his cheek bones slightly flushed. He wasn’t sure what had just come over him. He’d felt a burning hot rage in his soul, and the words had just come tumbling out. Papyrus knew it wasn’t all true, some of the things he’d said… well, he’d been projecting slightly. Something from his past he didn’t like to think about anymore. But he knew he’d crossed a line. He looked deep into Edge’s eye sockets, trying to keep his expression fierce.

But Edge didn’t look angry.

He looked hurt.

“Edge, I—”

“Get out.”

“Edge, please, I didn’t mean—”

“Get out. Right now. GET OUT.” Edge’s left socket flared with ruby magic, and Papyrus backed out as quickly as he could, before the door slammed in his face.

“Well done, Papy, now they’re both mad at you.” Papyrus turned to see Sans standing at the bottom of the staircase, hands on his hips, his expression chastising.

“Yeah bro,” said Papyrus, suddenly feeling tired, “and I think I deserve it.”

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter! I've almost finished the next one as well, so I'll try and get that one out soon too.  
> Hope you enjoy! xx

When Edge emerged from his room later that evening, his expression was completely placid. He showed no signs of his and Papyrus’ earlier argument, his rough features indifferent.

“Brother, round up the other two, it is time for us to leave.”

Red looked up from where he was sitting, watching TV, on the couch.

“You got it, Boss,” he said, turning the TV off. He paused at the foot of the stairs, observing his brother with concern. Edge’s cheek bones were slightly flushed, and there were dark rings under his eye sockets. “Hey, Boss, are you okay?”

Edge looked at him sharply.

“I am fine, brother. Now do as I asked.”

Sans hesitated for a moment, before nodding and heading upstairs to his room. Sans and Papyrus were sitting on the bed, chatting idly about something. They looked up when Red entered. “Time to go,” he told them, and Sans immediately sprung up from the bed, Papyrus slowly following. Sans strode past Red, and headed downstairs, but Red blocked Papyrus’ path before he could leave the room. Papyrus looked down at him, a tired expression on his face.

“Red, if this is about your brother—”

“It’s not,” said Red, firmly meeting Papyrus’ gaze. “Although I hope you know I am still pissed about that. But no, this is about the Machine. I think we should get started on fixing it.” Papyrus raised his brow bone slightly.

“Okay…”

“Tomorrow.”

“Sure, but…”

“I finish my sentry duty just after midday,” Red said. “I’ll be back here then, and we can get started.” Without waiting for Papyrus to respond, he turned and walked downstairs, meeting his brother and Sans in the living room.

Papyrus arrived shortly after him, and Red didn’t fail to notice the way he avoided looking at Edge, who continued to act aloof.

“Right, everyone ready?” he asked, taking his brother and Sans by the hand, who took a hold of Papyrus'. After everyone nodded, Red teleported them directly outside Undyne’s house. His skull felt slightly heavy from the journey – using a short-cut with so many people on board often took a little extra effort.

Edge stood up straight, dusting himself off, and then turned to face the Underswap brothers.

“Stay behind me,” he commanded, “and do not forget what we discussed.” His eye-lights briefly flickered to Papyrus, who still wasn’t looking at him. The two Underswap brothers fell into line behind him, with Red bringing up the rear. Edge marched towards the door, which was large and black, with small spikes protruding from the edges. He raised a gloved hand, and gave three firm knocks, then stepped back and waited.

There were several moments of tense silence, before there was a crashing sound behind the door, and a muffled curse. Red stifled a snicker. Another couple of seconds passed before the door slid open, revealing a muscular, blue-scaled monster.

Undyne was tall. Just as tall as Edge, in fact, and twice as heavily built. Her thickly-muscled biceps were bare, and she wore long red gloves. A sliver of her toned stomach was visible beneath her torn black shirt, and, much like the rest of her skin, it was riddled with scars. Her long red hair was tied back into a high ponytail, and beneath the eye-patch which covered her left eye, the thin trail of a scar was visible. Her mouth stretched into a grimace when she saw Edge, yellow teeth glinting.

“Hey, asshole, you’re early!” Undyne’s voice was rough and loud, always sounding as if she was barking orders at someone. She shook hands firmly with Edge, and Red thought he was his brother wince slightly.

“No, we are perfectly punctual, Captain” said Edge, gesturing to the clock on the wall behind Undyne. She turned around to glance at it, then back to face Edge, scowling.

“Ngah! Alright, alright, you don’t always have to be right, damn you!”

She then glanced behind him at Sans and Papyrus, who were standing quietly, as if to not draw too much attention to themselves. Sans was clutching nervously onto his brother’s sleeve, peering out from behind him. “And these must be your hostages.”

“Houseguests,” Edge corrected.

“Whatever, same thing,” she said, waving her hand. She narrowed her eyes at them, and Red quickly jumped in.

“They’re, uh, relatives, visiting from the Capital,” he said. Undyne gave him a dubious look.

“Relatives?” She looked doubtful.

“Yes,” Edge affirmed. She narrowed her eyes.

“Well, we can talk when we’re inside, come on in.” She turned and headed indoors, then yelled over her shoulder, “Come on, we don’t have all night!” Edge led the others quickly after her. The inside of her home was rather cluttered, and dimly lit. There were various weapons leaning against the walls, and poking out of cupboards. A broken mug lay on the floor, and Red deduced that it must have been the source of the crashing noise they’d heard from outside. Undyne took a seat at the dining table in the middle of the room, and gestured for the rest of them to do the same. Once they were all seated, she turned to regard Edge.

“You’d better start giving me some answers, or I’m gonna start dusting people.” While Red knew she wasn’t serious, he saw Papyrus flinch, and move protectively closer to Sans, whose eye-lights were wide.

“What would you like to know, Captain?” Edge asked, calmly. Undyne gestured at Sans and Papyrus.

“Well, firstly, who the hell are they? And don’t give me that ‘relatives from the Capital’ bullcrap, I know you two have no relatives, moron.” Red winced inwardly. There were a couple of moments’ silence before Edge sighed.

“I am sorry for deceiving you, Captain.”

“I don’t need your apologies, Edge, I need the truth, who _are_ they?” Tension filled the room, and an uneasy silence fell. Sans was shifting nervously in his seat, and Papyrus was looking very uncomfortable.

“Edge—”

Edge held up a hand, cutting off whatever Papyrus had been about to say.

“Undyne, I am sorry,” he said, holding Undyne’s gaze, fixedly, “but I am going to have to ask you to trust me on this. I cannot tell you where they are from, but I can promise you, they are not a threat.”

Silence reigned once again, then, after a couple of moments, and much to Red’s surprise, Undyne sighed and said, “Alright, Edge, I’m choosing to trust you here. But I promise you, one step out of line, and they’re dust. You got it?” She turned to face Sans and Papyrus, who were looking at her with shock, and held them with a steely gaze. “YOU TWO GOT IT?” she repeated, louder. They both nodded quickly. “Good. Now, I have a few other things I need to ask.” She returned her attention to Edge. “How long have they been here?”

“About two weeks,” he replied.

“And how long are they planning on staying?”

Edge paused, considering, and Red decided to interject.

“We’re not sure yet,” he said. “We need to, uh, make some… arrangements before they go. It might take some time.” His gaze briefly flitted to Papyrus, who was staring at the table.

“Uh huh,” said Undyne, raising an eyebrow. “And do these arrangements require the help of Doctor Alphys?” Red looked up quickly, shocked.

“Um, n-no, why do you ask?”

Undyne shrugged.

“Just curious.”

Red felt a creeping suspicion arising in his soul, though he couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was. While he had not considered the possibility that he and Papyrus might need the Royal Scientist’s help fixing the Machine himself, he found it strange that Undyne would jump to such a conclusion so quickly.

“Alright then,” she turned to look at Sans and Papyrus once again, “what are your names? You’ve got them, right?”

Sans spoke first.

“I’m—”

“Blue,” Edge interrupted, “his name is Blue.” Undyne raised an eyebrow, and Sans huffed slightly.

“Yes, I am Blue!” he proclaimed, “And my brother is Stretch.”

“So you’re brothers?” Undyne asked. Sans’ eye sockets widened, realising his slip.

“Um…”

“Yes, they are brothers,” Edge said. He and Undyne shared a lingering look. To Red, it looked as if they were sharing some unspoken conversation, neither breaking eye contact.

“I see,” said Undyne at last, turning away from Edge to face the Underswap brothers once again. “So Blue, you seem like a capable warrior, would you be interested in joining the Royal Guard? Just for the time you’re here, of course.”

Everyone in the room froze, except for Sans, whose face had lit up like a lamp, cheeks touched with cyan, and eye-lights starry and sparkling.

“M-me? Join the Royal Guard?” he gasped. Undyne smiled, her yellow teeth flashing.

“After some training, of course,” she said.

“I… I—”

“Absolutely not!” Edge interrupted. “Undyne, you can’t possibly be serious? Look at him! He’s—he’s far too small and innocent!” Sans pouted at Edge’s use of the word ‘small’. Edge looked flustered, and Undyne gave a throaty laugh.

“Ha! Please, Edge, if size mattered so much, you’d be far more experienced than you like to think you are.”

Both Red and Papyrus snorted at the innuendo, and Edge flushed a deep shade of crimson.

“Besides,” Undyne continued, “he clearly has potential. He’s enthusiastic, a little soft around the edges perhaps, but after some training I bet I can toughen him up! Besides, we could use a few extra members on the Royal Guard, what with everything that’s going on in the Core…” Undyne fell silent, and an uneasy tension filled the room. Red suddenly noticed that Papyrus had gone stiff next to Sans.

“Th-the Core?” he said, golden eye-lights shrinking. “W-what’s happening at the Core?”

Undyne waved him off.

“Eh, nothing you need to worry about. So Blue, what do ya say? Wanna become a warrior?”

Blue jumped up in excitement.

“Yes!” he bellowed. “I will not let you down, Captain!” He suddenly seemed to notice his overreaction, and sat down, grinning sheepishly.

“Ngah, no sweat, kid, I admire your enthusiasm.” Undyne then turned to face Edge. “Okay, I think this interrogation is over, they seem harmless enough. Maybe even a little too harmless…” her good eye flickered to Papyrus, and Red wondered if she’d done a ‘check’ of him. “I will be keeping an eye on them though, there had better be no funny business.”

“You have my word,” said Edge, and the two Royal Guard members stood and shook hands once again. Undyne ushered them all out of her house, stopping Edge at the door to mutter something to him, while the others waited outside.

“What did she want, Boss?” Red asked as Edge said his goodbyes to Undyne, who closed the door behind him.

“There has been a small development in the Core case,” Edge murmured, so that only his brother could hear. Sans and Papyrus had begun walking down the path leading away from Undyne's house. “She wants me here early tomorrow morning.”

“And me?”

“You are to return to your sentry duties as normal, brother.”

Red slumped a bit, he didn’t like being left out of the action.

“You don’t still need me to go see Alphys?”

“That won’t be necessary,” said Edge. “Undyne has already spoken with her.”

“Right.”

Red found himself watching Sans, who was chatting happily to Papyrus about his new position as Royal Guard trainee.

“That’s awfully nice what she did for Blue, don’t ya think?” said Red.

“Yes, I suppose it was,” Edge replied. “Thought slightly suspicious, I suspect she wants to keep any eye on him. At least it’ll give him something to do.”

“So much for keeping him out of danger.”

“Somehow, I think he will be safer this way,” said Edge. “At least with some training, he might be able to defend himself.”

“Boss,” said Red, suddenly grave, “you know she’s probably gonna want him to gain some LOVE, right?”

Edge looked pensive.

“I know.”

"Doubt his brother will like that." Red noticed his brother flinch slightly at the mention of Papyrus.

"No... no he won't."

They both looked somberly at the little skeleton before them, who was jumping up and down, trying to catch wisps out of the air. Red found it so difficult to picture him as a killer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, Undyne is one of my favourite characters, I hope I did her justice! ●﹏●


	16. Chapter 16

Papyrus awoke unusually early the next morning. Sans was still curled up next to him, fast asleep. He glanced through the window, and saw that it was still dark outside. Climbing out of bed, and careful not to disturb Sans, he crept out of the room, and made his way downstairs.

Red was already up, watching TV on the couch. Papyrus sat down beside him, only half paying attention to the quiz show that was on. After a few minutes without a word from either them, he decided he couldn’t take it any longer.

“Red, look, about yesterday, I’m—”

“Hey, don’t sweat it pal.” Papyrus looked at Red in surprise. “All is forgiven. Not sure my brother feels the same way though,” he added, grimacing. “You know, he puts on a brave face, but I think you kinda upset him. What did ya say anyway?” Papyrus winced.

“Uh, nothing, just… Is-is he still here?”

Red raised his brow bone at Papyrus’ avoidance of his question.

“Nah, Boss had to leave early, but I’m sure you can catch him later.”

Papyrus nodded, still disconcerted. His minded drifted to what he’d said to Edge the previous day, and he cringed inwardly. He hadn’t meant to lash out like that, he knew Edge didn’t deserve it. For some reason, anger had just crashed over him, and he hadn’t been able to hold it in. Something was still bothering him though.

“Hey, Red… why does your brother make you wear that collar?” Papyrus knew he was pushing his luck with the question, but his curiosity got the better of him. Red looked up in surprise.

“What? Boss doesn’t make me wear this.”

Papyrus was taken aback.

“He doesn’t? Then… why—”

“I choose to wear it,” said Red, frowning. “Why would you think that my brother makes me wear it?”

“Uh, I don’t know… I guess I figured it was some kind of, dominance thing?” Papyrus shifted uncomfortably, suddenly wishing he hadn’t asked. Red stared at him in bewilderment.

“Dude, that’s fucked up. I don’t know what kind of weird shit goes down in your universe… but, uh, nope I just like to wear it.” Red looked slightly defensive, and Papyrus figured he was hiding something.

“So, uh, why?” he asked, trying to remain casual. “You’re always fiddling with it, can’t be too comfortable.” Red looked slightly flustered, and he looked away from Papyrus.

“Well, uh, it actually used to belong to my bro – when he was a babybones. I guess it just sort of just reminds me of when we were kids…” Red instinctively lifted a hand to his collar, before seeming to realise what he was doing, and dropping it again, opting to twist his phalanges together instead.

“Your brother owned a collar when he was a babybones?” Papyrus asked, smirking slightly. “Man, this world is weird.” Red glared at him.

“Look, it wasn’t like that! It was more just like… a toy.” Papyrus snorted.

“A _toy?_ A bit kinky for a babybones dude.” Red’s cheek bones flushed and his glare intensified.

“Not like that, you weirdo! Ugh, why am I even telling you this, you’re such a dick. Maybe I just wear it because it looks badass, okay? Fuck off.” Red huffed, crossing his arms and firmly staring at the tv. Papyrus smirked slightly.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to be such a pain in the neck.”

“Oh shut up!” Red snapped, but Papyrus could see a small smile creeping onto his features.

They continued to watch the program in silence for a little while. The multi-armed robot on the TV looked vaguely familiar somehow, but with some monsters in this universe, Papyrus just couldn’t tell.

“Hey,” said Red, breaking the silence after some time, “I’ve still got about an hour before I’ve gotta leave for my sentry duty, you wanna check out the Machine?”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Yeah, why not.” He followed Red out the front door and around the back of the house. It wasn’t as dark now, the snow pale grey in the lighting. Red unlocked the back door, and beckoned for Papyrus to follow him down the stairs. This basement was much the same as his own was. A little dingier perhaps, but mostly the same. Red approached a large object at the back of the room, over which a dirty white sheet had been draped. He pulled it off to reveal the towering Machine, identical to the one in Papyrus’ own basement. With one key difference.

“Well, that doesn’t look right.” Behind the glass doors, where the swirling black void would normally be, was a strange, cracked, black mirror. Only it wasn’t a mirror, as there was no reflection, it was just a surface, dark and endless, with a large crack down the middle. “I mean it’s certainly… interesting,” Papyrus commented, observing the Machine curiously.

“Not exactly normal, is it?” Red said dryly. “Got no idea what caused it. We hadn’t used the Machine in months and then one day I just came down here and… it was like this.”

“Huh.” Papyrus walked around the back, inspecting the various wires that crossed over and thread around each other on what looked like a giant circuit board. He’d never really examined the wires on his own Machine, so it was difficult to tell if any were actually out of place. “Don’t suppose you have any idea how these work?” He gestured at the tangle of wires. Red shrugged.

“Not a clue.”

“Perfect.”

“Hey, you don’t know either!”

Papyrus waved him off. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Unfortunately, that’s the problem.” He circled back to the front of the Machine, looking at the series of buttons and switches. Everything was identical to his own, albeit a little cleaner. Papyrus had used the Machine fairly often when it had first been functional, curious to traverse the various universes. “Don’t suppose you haven’t already tried turning it off and back on again?” he asked, deadpan.

Red gave him a dry look.

“You gonna ask if I checked if it was plugged in next?”

“Shut up.”

Papyrus tried flipping a couple of the switches, but with no results.

“You got the blueprints?” he asked.

“Yeah gimme a sec…” Red began shuffling through a pile of papers on the counter against the wall, finally withdrawing a thick pile of paper, similar to a handbook. He handed it to Papyrus, who glanced through it.

“Hmm, slightly different to mine, actually, but basically the same logic…” He flipped through the many pages, sockets narrowing as he tried to decipher some clue as to why the Machine had malfunctioned. “What if we try…” he walked over to the large device, and bent down to flip the switch at the bottom into the ‘on’ position.

“Oh, yeah, didn’t think of that,” Red said, sarcastically.

“I’m not done, idiot,” Papyrus bit back. He walked round to the back, crouching to examine a particularly complicated series of yellow and green wires which crossed over each other. He carefully re-examined the blueprints, making sure he had the right wire, before unplugging one of the thicker yellow wires, and moving the plug up to a higher level on the board, plugging it back in. He repeated the action with several other thinner yellow wires, and then moved a large blue one, which was supposed to control the location of the portal the Machine would produce, according to the blueprints. After plugging it in and flipping the small switch underneath it, he peered around the Machine.

“That supposed to do something?” asked Red, and Papyrus felt his soul slump slightly.

“Only one possibility, there’s loads of stuff we could try.”

“Yeah I’m beginning to sense that’s gonna take us a while.”

Papyrus huffed.

“Well, what do you propose?”

Red shrugged.

“We could try fixing it at the source of the problem.”

“Meaning?”

“We open these glass doors, and take a crack at this weird mirror-void thing.”

Papyrus gave him a skeptical look.

“I dunno,” he said, “that could be dangerous.” Red gave an exasperated sigh.

“Well it’s worth a shot. Somehow I don’t think this problem is gonna be fixed by moving a few wires.” Before Papyrus could stop him, Red was opening the glass doors and peering into the strange black mirror-like void.

“Red, be careful,” Papyrus said, coming to hover behind him anxiously. Red waved him off. He took a step closer, and reached out a single phalange. When it made contact with the glassy surface, it created a ripple in the mirror.

“That’s weird,” Red mumbled, curiosity in his voice. He took a step closer, and placed his entire hand on the surface. The size of the ripples increased, spreading further out on the clear surface.

“Are you sure you should be doing that?” asked Papyrus, worried.

“Yeah, I just…” Red placed both hands on the glass-like surface, moving closer, until his face was almost pressed against it. A faint white glow began to appear where his hands were pressed, slowly growing like a strange orb in the darkness.

“Red…”

The glow grew brighter, spreading until it had almost completely engulfed the black surface. The light was blinding, illuminating the whole room with its blazing glow.

“Red!” Papyrus barely had time to pull a dazed Red away from the surface, and out of the Machine, the two of them toppling onto the floor, before the bright light flashed dazzlingly. Papyrus brought a hand up to shield his eyes, and heard a loud cracking sound. When he opened his eyes again, the mirror-like surface had returned back to its pitch black state, darkness extending endlessly behind it once again. Only there was one fatal difference.

“Well done, you bonehead, it’s even more broken now.”

The single crack in the strange mirror had become multiple large cracks, which extended right to the edges of mirror, smaller cracks leading off of the larger ones, giving it a shattered appearance. Red suddenly seemed to come to his senses.

“Oh shit, I did that?” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “My bad.”

“Yeah, your bad," Papyrus grumbled. Red climbed to his feet, and examined the damage with a forced grin on his face.

“Ah, damn. Well, I gotta go now, so uh, have fun with this.”

Papyrus scowled at him.

“Gee, thank you so much, asshole.”

“Hey, at least I actually did something!” Red said, but he looked slightly diffident.

“Yeah, you fucking destroyed it!” Papyrus sighed. “Heh, whatever, at least something happened I guess. Suppose I’ll try and figure out what to do next while you’re gone.” Red still looked slightly abashed, cheeks glowing a little.

“Sorry, bud. I’ll help ya when I get back…” Papyrus waved him off.

“Yeah, sure, now get going. I’ll see if I can figure something out.”

Red left him, and Papyrus stared at the Machine, feeling dispirited.

“Now, what the fuck is wrong with this thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Red and Papyrus banter though -‿- I've almost finished the next chapter so I'm going to try and post that soon!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ٩◕‿◕۶

It was almost dark when Red finally arrived back home. Papyrus had spent the day trying to figure out how to fix the Machine, or at least do something that bore some semblance to progress. But, it had been a frustrating affair, each attempt resulting in either utter despondence, or nothing but a small whining sound from the Machine. The closest he’d gotten to any sort of result had been when he’d slammed his fist against the side of the Machine in frustration and a small flicker of white light had appeared behind the surface of the black void. But given his and Red’s earlier experience with white light being emitted from that Machine, he’d decided against doing it again.

As soon as Red walked through the door, Sans was standing in front of him, bouncing back and forth on his feet. Papyrus looked up from his spot on the couch.

“Oh, hey… what’s up Blue?” Red sounded tired.

“Red! I would like to visit Waterfall again!” Sans declared, standing up straight so that he was almost level with the slightly taller skeleton. “Where we went last time, with the Echo Flowers.”

“I dunno, Blue, it’s pretty late. And I kinda promised Papyrus we’d work on—”

“Oh please, Red,” Papyrus interrupted. “If you think I’m gonna go back down to that basement, and spend another minute with that piece of shit—”

“Language, Papy!” Sans chided.

Red sighed.

“Well, alright then, I guess…” Sans began to jump up and down.

“Yes! Thank you, Red, thank you!”

“Yeah, no bother Blueberry. But we can’t stay out long, it’s getting dark. You coming, Stretch?”

Papyrus shook his head.

“Nah, think I’m just gonna stay in tonight, I’m pretty tired.” Red shot him a glare.

“Gee, wonder how that feels.”

Papyrus smirked.

“That’s what you get for being the tough guy.”

Red led Sans outside with a scowl, although his dark mood didn’t seem to dampen Sans’ spirits, who was as chipper as ever. After they were gone, Papyrus decided to head upstairs to take a nap, a slight headache throbbing in his skull. When he reached Red’s bedroom, he collapsed onto the bed, drifting off almost immediately.

 

****

 

Papyrus wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when he was jolted awake by a crash from downstairs. He jumped up, left socket flickering slightly with orange magic. He climbed off the bed, and slowly opened the bedroom door, creeping across the passage to the top of the stairs. He peered down, and found the living room empty. The crash must have come from the kitchen, he decided.

Tiptoeing as quietly as he could down the stairs, Papyrus prepared a sharp orange bone attack, clutching it in his right hand, which he held behind his back. He walked slowly across the living room carpet, before turning the knob of the kitchen door and quickly darting in, ready to attack. His magic dissipated immediately at the sight before him though.

“Edge,” he said in surprise.

Edge was sitting at the table, half a bottle of bourbon in front of him, and a shattered glass on the floor next to him. He seemed to have given up on the glass a while ago though, electing to drink straight from the bottle. His ruby eye-lights were fuzzy, and he had an elbow rested on the table, head in hand. His cheek bones had a faint red flush across them. He looked up at the sound of Papyrus’ voice, and his face seemed to light up slightly.

“Heyyyy, it’s the guy who hates me… Papyrusss,” he slurred, “what’re you doin’ ‘ere?”

“You’re drunk,” Papyrus noted.

“W…what? Oh, yeah, this,” Edge lifted the bottle of bourbon and observed it fondly. “Stars, I love bourbon. It helps me forget my sorrows.” He chuckled slightly, and Papyrus would have found the whole situation rather amusing if he hadn’t been slightly concerned.

“Uh, when did you get back?” he asked.

“’Bout half ‘n hour ago,” said Edge, hiccoughing slightly.

“You drank half a bottle of bourbon in thirty minutes? Wow, if I wasn't frighteningly concerned, I'd be impressed.”

“Nahh… I also had a scotch… or maybe it was two…” Edge was smiling again, gaze wandering around the room. “Heyyy,” he said suddenly, “where’s ma bro? ‘nd yours?”

“They went out. Red took Sans to visit Waterfall.”

“Mmm, jus’ me ‘n you then.” Edge smirked lazily at Papyrus. He then lifted the bottle of bourbon and began drinking straight from it.

“Shit, um, okay, I hate to be this person but…” Papyrus walked over to Edge, and reached to remove the bottle from his grasp. Edge resisted slightly, but was too drunk to put up much of a fight.

“Noooo…” Edge watched with sad eyes as Papyrus screwed the lid back on and placed it in the cupboard. Edge huffed. “Buzzkill.”

“It’s for your own good, pal. You’ll thank me in the morning.” Papyrus turned to leave but he felt Edge’s hand clasp around his own.

“Waiiit, don’t go. Come sit with me.” Edge looked up at him with an innocent smile. “I won’t bite, promise. Unleeesss you ask.” Edge grinned and Papyrus sighed.

“Fine.”

Edge’s grin widened.

“Yaayyy, you’re the beessst, Papyyruus.” Papyrus sat down beside him, noticing that Edge still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“So what’s up, Edge?”

Edge lifted Papyrus’ hand and began tracing between his phalanges, sending a slightly tingly feeling into Papyrus’ soul.

“Hmmm, not much, ya know… just, hmmm you have nice hands.” Papyrus felt himself flush slightly, cheek bones tinged with orange magic. He pulled his hand away quickly, shoving both of them in his pockets.

“Um, thanks.”

“Mhm.” Edge gazed at him. “You know, you’re kinda hot too. I mean, I guess you’re another me, so _obviously_ you’re hot. But like, you’re hot _and_ nice. I’m not that nice.” Edge looked sad for a moment, staring at the table, but then brightened up again, and looked back up at Papyrus. “And your eyes are sooo pretty.” He giggled, a strange sound coming from such a vicious looking monster.

“Um, Edge, I think I’m gonna take you to bed.” Papyrus wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to see where this conversation was going, especially not while Edge was in this state.

“Weellll, prince charming, at least buy me a drink first.” Edge giggled again, and Papyrus sighed, lifting him to his feet gingerly. He draped one of Edge’s arms over his shoulders, supporting him, and all but dragged him through the living room and up the stairs. When they reached Edge’s room, he pushed open the door, and guided Edge inside, setting him down on the bed and helping him pull his shoes off. Once Edge was safely tucked in, Papyrus began making his way toward the door.

“Well, um, goodnight Edge,” he said when he reached the doorway.

“Waiiit, Papyrus, please don’t leave me.” There was a hint of distress in Edge’s voice and Papyrus paused. “I don’t want to be alone.” Papyrus felt a lurch in his soul.

“Edge, I—”

“Please? Please stay.” Edge was giving him a mournful look, and Papyrus felt a twinge of pity. Sighing, he walked back to the bed, and sat down next to Edge.

“Edge, what—”

“Papyrus, do you hate me?”

Papyrus felt as if he’d been doused in cold water.

“What? N-no, I don’t hate you. Why would you think that?”

“W…what you said… last night… you said I was… that I…”

Papyrus shook his head vigorously.

“I’m sorry Edge, I shouldn’t have said those things. I don’t really think that of you, not at all.”

Edge looked up at him in confusion.

“B-but why would you say them? They were very hurtful things ya know.”

Papyrus sighed.

“I know, I’m sorry Edge. The truth is, I was sort of projecting a bit. A while ago, someone hurt me… like that, and, well I guess I see a bit of myself in Red, and…”

“Who hurt you?” Edge’s hand was brushing against Papyrus’ cheek, causing him to blush slightly. But he didn’t make any move to remove it. Edge’s expression turned dark. “I’ll kill ‘em.”

Papyrus chuckled humourlessly.

“Thanks, Edge, but it’s alright. He died a long time ago.”

“Ah, good, good, that is good…” Edge seemed to consider for a moment. “Well, I’d kill ‘em again if I could.”

This time Papyrus really did laugh.

“Thank you,” he said, “I appreciate the sentiment.” They fell into a comfortable silence, Edge’s hand still on his cheek bone, stroking small lines up and down. Edge looked deeply into his eyes, eye-lights wide, sockets half lidded.

“Papyrus?”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember… the other night… when I healed you?”

Papyrus felt his soul stutter.

“Um, yes.”

“It was nice.”

Papyrus went quiet for a moment, his mind reeling. Of course he remembered it, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. It had been an extremely exhilarating experience. He had been able to sense Edge’s magic coursing through his bones for days afterwards, making him feel warm. Even now, sitting this close to Edge, he could feel a faint resonance in his soul, as if it recognised the monster before him.

“Yeah, it was,” he said, smiling.

“It was?”

Papyrus nodded.

“Your magic, it was… nice.”

Edge gazed at him in wonder, then said, “You have a beautiful soul.”

Papyrus stopped breathing, and Edge’s hand stilled on the side of his face. He began to trail the hand down, over Papyrus’ jaw, down his neck, over his chest, until he reached the spot right at the bottom of his sternum, and rested his hand over it. Papyrus felt a shudder pass through him.

“C-can I see it again?” Edge’s voice was small, eye-lights eager.

Papyrus felt his soul pulse under Edge’s touch, and a faint glow began to shine through his hoodie.

“Uh, I don’t…”

“You can say no,” Edge said, smiling patiently. It was an unusual expression on the rough skeleton’s face, but Papyrus decided he liked it.

“I-I’m sorry Edge… I…” Edge immediately removed his hand, and Papyrus felt his soul drop slightly in disappointment at the lost touch.

“Don’t apologise, Papyrus,” said Edge, earnestly meeting Papyrus’ gaze. There was a brief silence between them, Edge still staring at Papyrus in wonderment.

“Edge?”

“Hmm?” Edge’s eye sockets had drifted closed, and he seemed to be humming slightly to himself.

“Why do you call me Papyrus?” Papyrus wasn’t sure Edge would answer this question while sober, so he figured he might as well seize the opportunity. Edge opened his eyes, looking slightly confused.

“’Cause ‘s your name.”

“Yeah, but you call my brother Blue, and you even call your own brother Red. I was just wondering… why…” Papyrus drifted off as Edge reached up his hand once again, cupping Papyrus’ face with it.

“Hmm, I like Papyrus. Suits you. Plus when we met you were… scared of me, mhm.” Edge smiled when he said this, as if he found this amusing. “Thought if I used your _real_ name, it’d calm you down. And it did! Looook at us now!” Edge’s hand was still cupped under Papyrus’ jaw, and Papyrus couldn't stop the orange blush from creeping onto his cheeks. “Also… using your real name… it just feels so much more, hmmm _intimate.”_ Edge’s emphasis on the word ‘intimate’ sent a shudder through Papyrus, and he felt himself subconsciously leaning into Edge’s touch.

“Edge…”

Edge’s eye sockets began to flutter, eye-lights dimming. After they were closed, he hummed quietly, dropping his hand from Papyrus’ cheek and instead opting to run it over Papyrus’ fingers. “Mmm, you’re real greaaat Papyrus,” he crooned, words slurring slightly in his half-conscious state, “thanks for staying with me…”

Edge drifted off, breathing deeply. Papyrus sat for a moment, looking down at him, appreciating the peaceful expression on his normally harsh face. He pondered over what Edge had said about his soul, feeling the faint blush returning to his cheek bones as he did so. He’d called Papyrus’ soul beautiful. Even thinking back over his words now, Papyrus felt a light-weighted fluttering in his chest.

After some time, he stood up and walked towards the door. When he reached it, he turned around one final time, watching Edge’s chest rise and fall as he inhaled and exhaled.

“Goodnight, Edge,” he whispered, before closing the door quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry, Edge.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I apologise in advance for the puns in this chapter.

Edge woke up with a pounding headache, and a slightly queasy feeling in his soul.

“Fuck,” he mumbled, as he pulled himself out of bed and got dressed. There was a sour taste of bourbon in his mouth, and he dragged himself into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was certainly a sight to behold.

His eye-lights were dim and there was an even darker red ring around them, accompanied by greyish circles under his eye sockets. His cheek bones were slightly flushed, and the scar across his left socket looked strangely deeper than usual, matching the rest of his gaunt face. On top of his appearance, he honestly felt like shit. The hammering in his head seemed to permeate through his entire body, making his bones ache, and the nausea squeezed his soul. He silently cursed alcohol under his breath.

After washing up, he trudged downstairs and found his brother watching TV on the couch.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Red said, smirking up at him. “Rough night?”

“Silence,” mumbled Edge, closing his eye sockets and bringing a hand to his temple.

“Heh, Stretch told me you got a bit plastered last night Boss. Wish I’d been there to see it.” Edge looked up, sockets widening.

“Papyrus told you? What did he say?”

Red shrugged.

“Not much, just that he found ya wasted in the kitchen and put ya to bed.”

Relief washed over Edge.

“Oh. Well, I need some coffee, then I’ll be heading off to work.” He glanced up at the clock, and was startled to see the time displayed. It was almost midday. “Shit, it’s late! I—”

“Relax, Boss. I already called Undyne and told her you wouldn’t make it to your patrol today. She put Greater Dog on it.” Red didn’t look up from the TV as he spoke.

“W-what? No, I don’t take vacation days! I have to go.”

Red looked up at him, raising his brow bone.

“Yeah, like you’d be any good with the state you’re in. It’s fine, Boss, you need to get some rest.”

Edge growled.

“And what about you? Why aren’t you at your station?”

Red waved his hand casually.

“It’s my day off, bro. Some of us actually have them. Don’t sweat it, seriously, Undyne said it was cool.” Red turned his attention back to the TV and Edge sighed in defeat.

“Very well. I suppose this just means I will have to put a few extra hours tomorrow. There is still much to do regarding the Core case.”

“Yeah sure Boss, whatever you want,” said Red, not really paying attention. Edge sighed and stalked into the kitchen, to find Sans, sitting at the table, munching on some cookies. Edge vaguely wondered where they’d come from. He traipsed over to the coffee machine, turning it on.

“Good morning, Edge!” Sans greeted, his shrill voice causing Edge to bring his hands back up to his temples. “Did you sleep well?” Edge gave him a dark look.

“Does it look like a slept well?”

Sans seemed to consider for a moment.

“Hmm, I suppose it does not. Though I only asked in an attempt to remain courteous. What has you so vexed?”

“Nothing,” said Edge, looking away. He poured himself a mug of black coffee and took a sip. Its warmth buzzed through him, calming him slightly. “I just… slept badly is all.”

“Ah, yes, I believe alcohol commonly has that effect. Mweh, fear not! I am certain someone as great and strong as you can work through it!” Despite Sans’ voice leaving a painful buzz in his head, Edge appreciated his encouragement.

“Thank you, Blue.”

“You are quite welcome, Edge! My brother says the best way to cure a hangover is sleep, coffee, or, uh, getting drunk again, but I disagree! The best cure for any ailment is the support of your friends!” Blue’s eye-lights were bright, smile wide.

“Y-your brother, where is he?” Edge felt nervous suddenly. He vaguely remembered a few of the things he’d said to Papyrus the previous night and was eager to avoid him for the rest of the day.

“Ah, I believe he is in the basement, working on the Machine! He is determined to fix it so that he and I may get back home!” Sans looked thoughtful for a moment. “It is strange seeing him actually working hard on something, my brother is always so lazy!” Edge couldn’t help but feel a slight sinking feeling in his soul. He would never admit it, but the thought of the brothers from Underswap leaving made him… hmm, sad seemed too strong a word. Dissatisfied was more appropriate, he decided. It was rather strange though.

Edge finished his coffee and set the mug in the sink. “Well Blue, it has been nice chatting but I must go attend to some duties.” He was about to leave when Sans’ voice stopped him.

“Edge?” He turned. Sans had a hopeful expression on his face. “When can I start my Royal Guard training?” Edge felt a small twinge of sorrow, remembering what Red had said about Sans having to gain LOVE. But he quickly shook it off, thinking for a moment.

“Well… I suppose I could bring you with me tomorrow when I go to see Captain Undyne. We have some important matters to discuss first, but I am sure if you’re tenacious enough she can be convinced to start your training a little sooner.” Sans’ eyes lit up.

“Really?” he gasped. “Tomorrow? Wowie! I must prepare!” Sans leapt up, cookies unfinished, and darted past Edge and into the living room. Edge followed, and caught a brief glimpse of him disappearing up the stairs. He chuckled quietly to himself, and wondered what Sans could be doing. Just then, the front door opened, and Papyrus walked inside, looking slightly disgruntled. His expression immediately turned amused when he caught sight of Edge, however.

“Sup, Edge. Sleep well?” he asked, a lazy smirk appearing on his face. Red looked up from his spot on the couch, keenly observing the scene before him.

“I don’t know why everyone insists on asking me that when the answer is quite apparent,” Edge said, coldly. Papyrus’ grin widened.

“Heh, well, can’t really blame you after the night you had.” Papyrus continued to smirk, but Edge noticed a slight flush on his cheek bones. Edge cleared his throat.

“Hm, yes. Well, I should be recovered shortly, then I can resume my usual duties.” He felt himself flushing as well, and looked away from Papyrus.

“Well, hope you feel better soon,” Papyrus said, before turning and walking upstairs. Edge breathed a small sigh of relief when he heard his brother’s bedroom door close.

“Oh man.” Red’s voice startled him. He’d forgotten his brother had been on the couch, lazily observing them. “Oh man, Boss, something definitely happened last night.” Red was looking at him with a wicked grin, gold tooth glinting. “You fucked him didn’t you?” Edge spun to face his brother, startled.

“No!” he said, voice raising a pitch. “No, I most certainly did not!”

“Heh, but given your reaction, I’d say you wanted to.” Red’s smile widened, devious. “Oh, boy, you so wanted to, didn’t you? Hehe.” Edge’s cheek bones felt hot, glowing a deep ruby red. He groaned.

“Ugh, I do not need to listen to this nonsense.” He turned and began walking towards the stairs, but Red didn’t lay off.

“Damn, so how did it go down? Lemme guess, you used the whole ‘drunk pity’ thing on him? Or, no wait, even better, you begged him to sleep with you and he told ya to fuck off? No, no! You two were about to get it on and then he saw your cock and he—”

“That is enough, whelp!” Edge hissed, cheek bones aflame. Red just chuckled.

“Oh man, talk about a narcissist. You literally wanna bone yourself." Edge frowned. It was rather hypocritical of Red to call him a narcissist when he'd had relations with the Sans from... anyway, that wasn't important right now. He gave his brother the most menacing glare he could muster.

"Brother, if you continue this I'll—"

"Or at least, your other self," Red continued, ignoring Edge. "Oh boy, I can’t believe this. Oh man, this is good stuff.”

Edge’s expression darkened.

“I. Will. Dust. You.”

“Hehe, you wanna take him to the _bonezone,_ don’t you?” Red teased. “You wanna _rattle his bones_ , huh? You wanna, _bury your bone_ in him, hehehe. Get it? Because you’re such a dog? Boss, do you get it?” Red was snickering.

Edge scowled at his brother, narrowing his eye sockets and recomposing his features.

“I have had enough of your quips, brother. Another word, and you are dust.” Edge turned and began walking up the staircase, only stopping when he heard his brother suppress a snort behind him. He turned, unable to stop himself from glaring. “Something to say, Red?” His voice was scathing. Red was clearly trying to stifle his laughter, a hand over his mouth.

“Ah, heh, I’m sorry Boss… it’s just… does he give you a _bone_ r?” That was enough. Edge descended upon his brother, eye-lights blown wide with fury. Red gave a startled yelp as Edge grabbed onto his wrists, pinning them to the sofa.

“Alright, brother, you’ve been playing a dangerous game, now you—”

“Um, am I interrupting something?”

Both Edge and Red looked up to see Papyrus standing at the top of the stairs, looking slightly amused. They immediately jumped up, Edge trying to compose his features into an innocent expression, Red grinning widely, teeth clenched as if trying not to laugh.

“Heh, nah bud, Boss just doesn’t find my jokes very _humerus._ ” Red winced as Edge elbowed him sharply. Papyrus regarded them both with skepticism.

“That’s weird. I thought nothing got under your brother’s skin.”

It took the Underfell brothers a moment to process the joke, before Red broke into uncontrollable guffaws, and Edge groaned loudly.

“You are just as bad as he is!” he grumbled. He was not enjoying being the victim of all of these puns.

“Heh, sorry we don’t _tickle your funny bone_.” Papyrus was grinning now, and Red had tears streaming from his eye sockets.

“No, but you tickled one of his other bones,” Red murmured between giggles, so that only his brother could hear. Edge kicked him hard and Red doubled over with an _‘oof!’_

“Well, as much as I’m enjoying this, I am worried Edge might _pun_ ish us if we go on any longer. And I actually came down here to talk to you guys about something. It has to do with my brother’s training, with Undyne.” Papyrus had descended the stairs, and was regarding the two brothers with a somber expression. Red immediately stopped laughing, and Edge composed his features.

“What is it?” he asked.

“He said you’d be taking him to see her tomorrow, to get him started.”

“Yes, that is the plan,” said Edge.

“I just…” Papyrus trailed off.

“What’s up, Stretch?” asked Red.

“Look, I know you wouldn’t let any harm come to Sans…”

“You’re right, we wouldn’t,” said Edge, wondering where Papyrus was going with this.

“But would you let him bring harm to others?”

Edge went still.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. What do you—”

“Would you let him gain LOVE? Would you let him kill?”

Edge froze, and he felt Red go rigid too beside him.

“W-well we—”

“I thought so.” Papyrus gave them both a dry look.

“Papyrus,” Red began, “you know we’d protect your brother with our lives, but in this world—”

“It’s kill or be killed. Got it.” Papyrus turned to leave.

“Papyrus, wait—”

Papyrus spun around to face them.

“Listen, let me explain something. A long time ago, someone tried to hurt my brother… well, he tried to hurt both of us.” Papyrus’ tone was dark. “His name was… well that’s not important.” Papyrus’ expression looked strained all of a sudden. “And in fact, he _did_ hurt us, but I was always there to make sure my brother didn’t receive the brunt of it. And I always will be. I’ll _always_ be there to protect Sans. From anything. I’m just asking you two to do the same. Because you _don’t_ want to get on my bad side.” Without another word, Papyrus turned, marching back up the stairs. Edge heard Red’s bedroom door slam.

 “I dunno Boss, I think you’d like to get on some of his sides. He’s kinda hot when he’s angry, right?” Edge elbowed his brother sharply in the ribs.

“Don’t be a fool, brother. That was not an empty threat.” Edge pondered Papyrus’ words for a moment. “Who do you think he was talking about?” Red massaged his ribs, wincing.

“Uh, dunno. Probably just some monster from his world.”

"He did mention something last night," Edge said, suddenly remembering Papyrus' words from the previous night, "about someone hurting him... someone from his past." There was a nagging feeling at the back of Edge’s mind, like a thought was trying to break through, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. “Well, it’s not important,” he said, shaking his head. “What is important is what Papyrus said about his brother. I still do believe Undyne will want him to kill, but perhaps it can be avoided until… until they leave.”

“You actually want to stop Blue from gaining any LOVE?”

“I do.”

Red gave him a dubious look.

“Wow you must really be whipped if you—”

“It’s not about Papyrus,” Edge interrupted callously, “it’s about Sans. How do you think he’d feel if he actually hurt someone?” This seemed to throw Red, because he suddenly looked sad.

“Yeah… I guess you’re right. So how are we gonna play this?”

“I believe it would be wise to have one of us present at all times, to monitor the training. Should things go awry, we pull Blue out of there as quickly as possible.” Red nodded.

“Seems reasonable. And you’re going tomorrow?”

“I am. I doubt Undyne will force him to gain LOVE straight away, but it is best to be safe.” Edge sighed and rubbed his temples, head still throbbing. “I am going to go lie down for the time being. I recommend that you and Papyrus continue to work on that Machine. The sooner they are able to leave, the better.”

“Aww, sure you wanna see your bone buddy go so soon?” Red smirked.

“Brother, perhaps you should put a little more backbone into fixing the Machine, and less into your ridiculous puns.”

Red chuckled as Edge ascended the stairs and entered his room, closing the door behind him and flopping onto his bed, head pounding.

He struggled to find sleep, not being able to get Papyrus’ words about Sans out of his mind. Until now, he hadn’t even believed the little Blueberry to be capable of an act of violence, but if Papyrus was so worried…

He pushed the thought from his mind, instead trying to focus on his work, which, still much to his annoyance, he had missed today. The Core case still had him slightly baffled. He couldn’t understand what would cause monsters to feral. And the disappearances…

Edge decided that thinking about the case wouldn’t help him sleep either. There were too many plaguing issues going on right now. His mind idly wandered to the events of the previous night – at least, the parts he remembered. He thought about Papyrus, and how his soul had glowed faintly when Edge had touched him. He had almost felt its warmth radiating through Papyrus’ shirt. He wondered if Papyrus would ever let him get that close again…

Edge gradually drifted off to sleep, a warm resonance tingling in his soul.


	19. Chapter 19

Edge awoke very early the next morning, a quick glance out the window telling him it was still dark. He looked at his cell phone on the nightstand beside him, and saw that it was barely five in the morning. He’d been asleep for over fourteen hours. He couldn’t recall ever having slept so long; he must have been extremely hungover.

He got out of bed and got changed, then made his way to the bathroom. Once he’d freshened up, he headed downstairs, quietly treading past his brother, who was still asleep on the sofa. He entered the kitchen, with the intent of getting some breakfast, but was surprised to find Papyrus there, sitting at the table and looking over a stack of papers. He glanced up as Edge walked in.

“Oh, hey Edge. You’re up early.”

“So are you,” Edge pointed out while he began preparing a pot of coffee.

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”

“Nightmares?”

“Yeah...” Papyrus didn’t seem to be paying close attention to the conversation, his focus on the notes in front of him. He was frowning slightly.

Edge poured himself a mug of coffee and sat down across from Papyrus.

“Anything you want to, er, talk about?” he shifted awkwardly in his seat, struggling to meet Papyrus’ gaze.

“Heh, you don’t have to pretend to be the nice guy on my behalf, Edge.”

“No, really if there’s anything you want to get off your chest—”

“It’s okay.” Papyrus gave him a small smile. “Really, I’m fine.” Edge regarded him for a moment, then nodded.

“So, um, what’s that you’re reading?” he asked, pointing at the papers, eager for a change of subject.

“Oh this? Just some notes and the blueprints for the Machine. Stupid hunk of junk.” Papyrus’ expression turned sour. “Red and I have been working on it for days, but we can’t even find the problem, let alone try to fix it. It’s getting to the point where I think we’d have better luck just building a new one.”

“Well, as great as I am, I’m afraid my knowledge when it comes to magical machines is… minimal.”

“Well, it’s not actually magi—” Papyrus froze, eye-lights suddenly wide.

“Papyrus?”

“Edge,” Papyrus breathed, “I think you may have just given me an idea.” Edge raised his brow bone.

“I have?”

Papyrus nodded excitedly. He stood up, gathering his papers.

“All this time we’ve been assuming that the way the Machine works is purely mechanical – but how can it be? It literally lets you travel to different universes, that’s not pure physics, it’s magic! Stars, how did we not realise!” Edge looked up at him.

“So wait, slow down. You’re going to use magic to fix it?”

“Yes! Well, I mean I’m going to try. There’s always the chance it requires more than just plain magic, but it’s better than nothing! Which is basically what we have so far…” Papyrus traipsed out of the kitchen, still muttering quietly to himself, and Edge jumped up after him, following him to the front door.

“Wait, Papyrus!” he whispered, careful not to wake up his brother, who still lay on the couch. “You can’t go out there alone, it’s still dark, you—you could be attacked!”

“I’ll be fine,” Papyrus whispered back, rolling his eye-lights, “it’s just round the back of the house.”

“It only takes two seconds for a monster to dust you.”

Papyrus gave an exaggerated sigh.

“Alright then, come with me.” Without waiting for Edge to respond, he opened the front door and strode outside. Edge darted after him.

“Papyrus!” he hissed. Papyrus was already half way around the house, and Edge quickly caught up with him. “Stars, Papyrus, do you have no sense of self-preservation?” Papyrus regarded him with a smirk.

“No, I just knew that you had my back,” he said, winking, before turning and unlocking the door to the basement, and heading down the stairs. Edge followed, flushing slightly. Once they reached the bottom, Papyrus headed directly over to the large Machine, inside which Edge could see a mirror-like object, with several large cracks spreading across its surface.

“You think magic is going to fix that?” Edge asked, skeptically. “More like a miracle.”

“Shut up,” said Papyrus, shuffling through his papers, and Edge was slightly taken aback.

"Did you just... tell me to shut up?" he asked, more shocked than angry. Papyrus didn't look up.

"Yeah, yeah..." He didn't seem to be listening. "Oh, here it is!" He pulled a piece of paper out of the stack, examining it. “Hmm, the blueprints don’t have anything about magic in them per se, which is why Red and I didn’t think of it in the first place, but…” he scanned his finger down the page, “this does mention needing a source with incredible power to jump start the part of the Machine that controls the portal itself…” Papyrus walked around to the back of the Machine, and Edge followed, curiosity getting the better of him. Behind the Machine was a strange board made up of thousands of small multi-coloured wires, crossing over and under each other. Edge suddenly felt grateful that his chosen field of expertise was combat, and not science. Papyrus looked down at the blueprints once more, then lifted his hand to trace over a section of red and blue wires.

“Now, all I need to do is…” Papyrus ran his hand down, until he reached a series of small, empty power sockets. “Hold this.” He handed Edge the blueprints, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

A faint orange glow began to appear at his fingertips, and when he opened his eye sockets, they seemed to be ignited, the left one flickering slightly. Edge found himself mesmerised by the sight, his mind drifting briefly to the memory of Papyrus' glowing orange soul.

Papyrus slowly began feeding gentle streams of magic into one of the small sockets of the Machine, which started to make a low humming noise. Once he was done, he quickly used his other hand to detach one of the red wires, which he plugged back into the socket, as if to seal in the magic. He repeated this action with the next three empty sockets – feeding in a small stream of magic, then sealing it in with a red wire. Once he was done, he took the blueprints out of Edge’s hands and re-examined them, before handing them back and crouching down. He repeated what he’d done with the red wires using the yellow wires at the bottom of the board, only this time it seemed the stream of magic he was feeding in was a little more potent. Once that was done, he stood up, panting slightly.

“Well,” he huffed, “let’s see what difference that made, eh?” He walked around to the front of the Machine, and Edge followed. He felt slightly concerned that this was a bit of a strain on Papyrus’ magic.

When they reached the front, Papyrus’ eye-lights lit up.

“Holy shit, it actually did something!”

Edge examined the Machine. While most of the cracks in the mirror still remained, a few of the smaller ones seemed to be sealing themselves, and there was a faint orange glow behind the surface, rippling out steadily in small patches, like tiny flashing lights in the darkness. The Machine was also still giving off a deep vibrating hum, similar to the one Edge recalled it making when he and Red had used it to travel.

“Huh, the magic seems to be trying to break through the surface,” Papyrus observed, walking closer to the glass doors that separated them from the void-like mirror. Opening them, he said, “I wonder what would happen if I fed magic in directly through the surface…”

“Papyrus, are you sure you should be doing that?” Edge asked. “It doesn’t seem very safe.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine,” said Papyrus, waving Edge off with a flick of his hand. “I mean, it did almost explode in Red’s face before, but he touched it directly, and magic isn’t exactly physical so…” Edge felt dubious.

“Papyrus, are you feeling okay? That magic you did before seemed to take a bit of a toll on you, maybe you should stop…”

“No, no, I’ll be alright!” Papyrus’ breath was still coming in short pants, Edge noticed. Just to reassure himself, he did a quick ‘check’ of the other monster.

**Papyrus**

**LV: 1**

**HP: 0.5**

**ATK: 1—**

“Papyrus, your HP!” Edge gasped. Papyrus waved him off once again.

“It’s fine!” Papyrus snapped. “I have to do this, this could finally be what fixes this thing…” Papyrus took another step forward, reaching out to the dark surface of the mirror, hands already alight with magic.

“Papyrus, don’t—”

But Papyrus was already touching the surface of the mirror, magic flowing freely over the fine cracks. Edge watched in awe as the smaller cracks, very slowly, began to seal themselves. The golden-orange light seemed to slide over the glassy surface like water, filling in the sharp edges. Edge suddenly noticed Papyrus’ hand trembling, and his magic began to falter, the bright golden-orange growing less intense, magic slowly ebbing away.

“Papyrus, stop!” Edge cried, rushing forward.

“N-no, I just need… a little more…” Papyrus’ breath was now coming in short gasps, his entire body quivering, knees giving way. Edge caught him before he could hit the ground, and lifted him, carrying him out of the Machine and laying him on the floor, kneeling beside him. He did an involuntary ‘check’ of his stats.

**Papyrus**

**LV: 1**

**HP: 0.1**

**…**

“Fuck, Papyrus, you idiot.”

Papyrus’ eye sockets were fluttering, eye-lights dim. Edge felt panic twisting his soul.

“Heh, sorry Edge, I… I…” Papyrus’ eye-lights faded, sockets drooping closed.

“No, no, hey! Don’t go to sleep, stay with me Papyrus.” Edge looked frantically at the skeleton lying before him, but Papyrus didn’t move. “Fuck,” Edge swore. He knew what he had to do, Papyrus needed healing soon, or he might... But Edge hated doing it without asking first. But Papyrus was unconscious! Idiot, Edge thought. He had to act quickly, he wasn’t sure how long he had.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted the bottom of Papyrus’ hoodie, then reached into his chest, extracting his soul. Its normally bright golden-orange light was dim and washed out. Edge extracted his own soul, then, breathing in deeply again, and closing his eyes, he held both souls out in front of him.

The magic was much more immediate this time, red tendrils shooting out of his own soul and latching onto Papyrus’, as if they knew exactly where to go. He felt the warmth of Papyrus’ soul within his own, the slight prickling thrill rushing over him as his magic coursed through the golden heart-shaped organ. Slowly, as his magic fed life into the other soul, it began to regain its colour, soon shining brightly through the red magic, creating a radiant mix of red and gold. After some time, he felt, more than saw, Papyrus stirring below him.

“E-Edge…”

Edge looked down at Papyrus, whose eye-lights were still slightly dim, but blown wide as he regarded Edge, expression unreadable.

“Papyrus, I-I’m sorry, y-you were falling down... I had to—but, I-I’ll stop—”

“Don’t stop.” Papyrus’ voice was low and breathy, and there was a slight commanding tone to it. Edge suddenly felt his magic pooling around his pelvis, and inwardly cursed himself. Really! Right now? He did his best to ignore it.

"Papyrus, are you sure? I—"

"Don't you dare fucking stop."

There was a low growl in Papyrus' voice, eye-lights pinning Edge. Stars, this was not helping him dispel the hot coalescence of magic at his crotch. Edge paused for a moment, before continuing to feed magic into Papyrus’ soul, watching as the other skeleton’s eyes fluttered closed. Papyrus drew in a long, deep breath, as if Edge’s magic filled the very air around them. Edge tried to crush down the burning arousal that had begun to fill his soul, but then he felt Papyrus bring a hand up to his face, cupping his jaw. Papyrus' eyes were still closed, his mouth slightly open. The expression sent a heated jolt of desire down to the magic gathering around Edge's pelvic bone. He growled, pulling Papyrus' hand away from his jaw, holding it tightly. Papyrus' eyes flew open, his eye-lights wide and bright.

"I-I'm sorry... I—"

"For fuck's sake, Papyrus." Edge was unable to hide the lust in his voice, the way his breaths became rough and jagged. Papyrus was still looking up at him with those eyes... those damn eyes. Edge felt another low growl escape him, and he leaned over Papyrus, as if he needed to get closer, to feel him, to smell him, to touch him. Their souls were still clasped in his hand, and he ran his thumb over Papyrus' golden one, drawing a breathy moan from him.

“Fuck... Edge, I…”

Edge brought one of his legs over to the other side of Papyrus’ waist, so that he was straddling the skeleton beneath him, his pelvic bone between Edge's femurs. Edge held their souls just above Papyrus’ chest, gazing at them, sockets lidded. The red magic enclosing Papyrus’ soul had become tinged with gold. He closed his eyes, just taking in the feeling their combined magic, flowing together. Edge felt a sudden surge of pleasure, and he opened his eyes, looking down to see Papyrus reaching up, his fingertips just brushing Edge's ruby red soul.

“Stars, Papyrus…”

Papyrus took the soul into his own hands, looking at it in wonder, his sockets lidded, golden eye-lights almost sparking with magic. He then gently ran his finger down the middle of the organ, causing Edge to gasp.

“F-fuck… do that again.”

Papyrus obliged, pressing slightly harder this time, and Edge moaned deeply, dropping his free hand to the floor beside Papyrus' head, supporting himself. Their faces were only inches apart. Papyrus continued to run his fingers over the other’s soul, switching between gentle caresses and firm strokes. Edge gasped and moaned, each touch sending a renewed wave of pleasure through his body.

Papyrus suddenly stopped, causing Edge to whine. Papyrus chuckled quietly.

“Hehe, needy huh?” Edge regarded him with a glare. “But, there’s something else I wanna try…” Papyrus slowly reached up his free hand, bringing it to Edge’s face, and running it over his scarred eye socket. He then moved down to his cheek bone, and Edge leaned slightly into the touch, closing his eyes. Papyrus hummed quietly, bringing his hand around to the back of Edge’s skull. Edge opened his eyes, and saw Papyrus’ bright eye-lights gazing into his own, cheek bones flushed with orange magic.

Then Papyrus brought Edge’s head down, until their faces were a mere inch away from each other, both of them breathing heavily. Edge could feel Papyrus’ warm breaths on his face, could feel their souls humming in sync, could almost taste the sweet scent of honey in the air. Then, without warning, Papyrus pressed their teeth together in a soft kiss.

Edge sighed and closed his eyes, revelling in the feeling of the Papyrus’ mouth against his. He felt something soft and warm sliding over his sharp teeth, and parted them to grant entrance to Papyrus’ conjured ecto-tongue. He met it with his own, and they twisted together, Papyrus humming quietly beneath him. Edge ran his tongue along Papyrus’, then licked slowly into the other’s mouth, wanting to taste every inch of him.

He ran a finger delicately over Papyrus’ soul, which was still in his hand, causing the other to moan deeply. He felt Papyrus do the same to his own soul, sending a shudder through his body, and making him gasp, breaking the kiss. They continued this pattern for a few minutes, both drawing a string of moans and whines from each other. Edge opened his eyes briefly, and was greeted by the wonderful sight of Papyrus lying beneath him, eyes closed, cheek bones flushed a deep shade of golden-orange, mouth slightly open, panting. Edge leaned down to kiss him again, wrapping his tongue around Papyrus', his sweet taste filling Edge's mouth. He moaned against Papyrus, squeezing his soul gently, and Papyrus swore quietly, his breathing ragged. Edge slowly began to trail his free hand down to the waistband of Papyrus' pants, already feeling the faint warmth that radiated from the area.

“Edge?”

“Mmm…”

“We’re not going to have sex on your basement floor are we?”

Edge halted his movements, looking down at the other skeleton, who was smirking slightly, breathing still heavy. Edge leaned down and pressed his mouth to the side of Papyrus’ skull.

“I don’t know,” he whispered, causing Papyrus to shudder, “seems as good a place as any.”

He heard Papyrus gasp as he reached down and brushed his hand over his crotch, where his golden magic was pooling.

“As much as… ah… as I agree. I do believe I heard the front door opening about… ngh… twenty seconds ago, which means your brother will probably be walking in on us in about—”

“Whoa, holy shit, looks like I found the bonezone.”

Edge jumped up at the sound of his brother’s voice, looking up to see Red standing in the doorway, eye-lights wide.

“Oh, shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⊙﹏⊙


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for the slight delay, I had a very exhausting day :(  
> But on the bright side, this chapter is a bit longer than normal. Yay!  
> Hope you enjoy! ✿✿

“Jesus Christ, Boss. I knew ya wanted to bone him but you couldn’t even wait until you got to the bedroom?”

Edge immediately climbed off Papyrus, who felt his soul returning to his chest, and leapt up, straightening his clothes and clearing his throat.

“Brother! We were just… um… uh…”

“Oh I got a pretty clear view of what you were doing.”

Papyrus lifted himself into a sitting position, and turned to look at Red, whose expression was somewhere between amused and bewildered.

“Sup, Red.”

Red nodded in Papyrus' direction, casually.

“Stretch.”

“Um, Papyrus,” Edge said, looking slight strained, “I don't suppose you're planning on returning my soul any time soon.”

Papyrus glanced down and realised his hand was still grasped around the glowing red heart.

“Oh, right… sorry…” He stood up and placed the soul back into Edge’s chest, his hand resting there for a moment. He met Edge’s eye, and felt a jolt run through him.

“Well, as touching as this is, I think I’m going to go wash my eyes out with soap now,” Red seemed to consider for a moment, “or bleach.”

“Make sure you leave enough for your mouth,” Edge scathed. Red flipped him the middle finger and turned around to leave.

“Aren’t you going to comment on what a great job I’ve done here?” Papyrus asked, stopping Red in his tracks.

“Honestly dude, I’d rather not think about _what_ you’ve done here.”

Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

“I’m talking about the Machine.”

Red turned around in surprise, and looked over at the Machine, eye-lights going wide.

“W-what did you do?” he asked, walking over to it and examining the partially sealed cracks.

“Your brother actually gave me the idea. I fed magic through the main portal socket, and a few of the smaller location pointers. And I also channelled some directly in through the portal surface, only…”

“Only he was an idiot and nearly got himself killed,” Edge said, dryly.

“Yeah.” Papyrus grinned sheepishly. “It requires quite a lot of magic. Far too much for me to do in one go… considering my HP…”

Red observed the cracks in the glassy surface, thoughtful.

“Hmm, what if I give it some of my own magic? I’ve got more HP than you, bet I could last longer.”

“Not a chance, brother,” said Edge. “Not after what happened when Stretch did it. If anyone does it, it should be me, I have more HP than any of you combined.”

“Please Boss,” Red said, giving his brother a dubious look, “you don’t know the first thing about how this thing works. You’d probably fuck something up.”

“Watch your tone, whelp,” Edge said, sharply. “I’m sure I can manage. Just tell me where to feed the magic and I’ll do it. What’s not to understand?”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Could work. I mean no harm in trying. I’ll show you how to do it.”

“Yeah fine, whatever,” Red sighed. Edge approached the Machine, entering through the glass doors, and Papyrus stood beside him, placing a hand over his. He felt a warm tingling shoot through his bones. He looked up, meeting Edge's deep crimson eye-lights with his own.

“Alright, would you two stop eye-fucking each other and just get on with it?” Red said, exasperated.

“Fuck off, Red,” Papyrus bit out, but he looked away from Edge and at the glassy surface of the mirror. “Okay, it’s pretty simple, you should feel a sort of resonance when you move your hands over the cracks. Certain areas will buzz slightly more than others – that’s where you’ve got to channel the magic.”

Edge nodded, and began moving his hands over the mirror, a red glow appearing at his fingertips. Soon, dark red wisps of magic began to emit from his fingertips, and then his hands, shimmering over the surface of the mirror. But Papyrus could tell something was wrong.

“Hmm, that’s strange. It doesn’t seem to be accepting it. Are you sure you have the right spot?”

“Of course I am!” Edge snapped. He moved his hands a little lower anyway, and continued to attempt to feed magic into the void-like mirror. But again, the smoky red substance simply glided over the glassy surface, and then dissipated, not filling the thin fractures of the mirror.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, let me try!” Red pushed his way into the Machine, Papyrus stepping back to make way for him, and Edge stood aside, looking irritated. Red ran his hands over the surface, before repeating what Edge had just done, slowly radiating magic over the mirror. But once again, it refused to fill the fissures in the glass, evaporating before it could enter the crevices. “Fuck! Why isn’t it working?” Red growled in frustration, left eye socket sparking slightly. Papyrus frowned.

“I don’t get it. It worked fine for me earlier.”

“Well, congratulations, Mr. Perfect,” Red grumbled. “You must’ve broken it or something.”

“No, I don’t think so. Nothing seems to have changed since I did it. Here, let me try again.” Papyrus attempted to push past Edge and Red, but Edge held him back.

“Oh no, you don’t. It's only been ten minutes since you almost got yourself killed. You have to wait at least an hour before attempting suicide again.” Edge's tone was sarcastic and scathing.

Papyrus sighed.

“Well, it’s not working for either of you. And the only reason that happened was because I used too much of my magic at once, I won’t do it again.” Edge still refused to let him by, gripping his arm. “Hey come on dude, let go.” Edge shook his head profusely.

“I don’t think so. As much as I enjoy the intimacy of our healing sessions—” Red made a gagging gesture “—I will not allow you to put yourself so willingly in harm’s way once again.” Papyrus felt a flicker of irritation, struggling to keep his expression neutral.

“Well fortunately it’s not really up to you. Now lemme past.” Papyrus attempted to free himself from Edge’s grip, but Edge held him fast. “Edge, if you don’t—”

“C’mon Boss,” Red interrupted, jumping in before Papyrus could finish, “let him do it, we’ll be right here. We’ll stop him before anything can go wrong.” Edge held Papyrus’ gaze, not looking at his brother, and Papyrus forced himself to stare back, not flinching. After what felt like an eternity, Edge growled and released Papyrus’ arm from his steel grip.

“Thank you,” Papyrus said, nodding politely.

“Just don’t fucking die.” Edge stalked past Papyrus, Red following, leaving him alone in front of the black mirror. He lifted his hands, allowing his magic to feel out into the void, until he felt a faint murmur of magical resonance against his fingertips. Closing his eyes, he released a steady flow of golden-orange, allowing it to spread over the surface of the mirror. Faintly, over the low humming being emitted from the Machine, he heard a cracking sound. Opening his eyes, he saw several of the thin fractures sealing themselves shut as the orange magic entered them.

“Shit… it—it’s actually working.” He heard Red’s voice from behind him.

“Alright, you made your point, that’s enough.” He felt a strong set of hands pulling him back, and his magic faded. He turned to see Edge, who had his familiar scowl plastered on his face, and wasn’t looking at him.

“Why—why did it work for you and not us?” asked Red, drawing Papyrus’ gaze away from Edge.

“I’m not completely sure,” Papyrus admitted. “It may be because I was the one who fed magic in through the portal switch initially. Maybe it only recognises my magic?”

“Great,” Red grumbled. “So basically the weakest monster in the house is the only one who can charge this thing now. Good job, idiot.”

“Hey, I didn’t know it would work like that! But in hindsight, I guess it makes sense. Too much incompatible magic within the Machine could probably result in another disastrous shattering—like when you did it." Papyrus smirked as Red glared at him. "Well, at least we figured out how to fix it now. All I have to do is feed it more magic and—”

“No.” Edge looked up at Papyrus, expression dark.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said, no. You’re not doing it. I won’t let you.”

“For fuck’s sake Edge, you can’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“If you do this, you’ll get yourself killed.” Edge’s voice was low, menacing.

“I’m not stupid, I won’t do it all at once, just bits at a time, it’ll be fine.”

“How can you be so willing to put yourself in danger? It’s like you don’t even care!”

“Boss, don’t—”

“I have to do this, _alright?”_ Papyrus hissed, ignoring Red. “If I don’t, we’ll be stuck here forever. _My brother_  will be stuck in this world. It’ll destroy him. He wasn’t meant to live like this.” Papyrus felt a surge of anger pass through his soul. Why wasn’t Edge getting this? "We can't stay in this—this cesspit of evil!" Papyrus saw Red stifling a snort, but Edge only looked angrier.

“And you? Who will protect you?” Edge asked, with incredulity, and Papyrus faltered. “How can you care so little what happens to _you?_ It’s like you place no value on your own life! Like you don’t care whether you live or die. You’re so willing to walk into danger, to play the martyr – that you don’t even consider how it would affect the people who care about you!” Papyrus flinched. Edge’s eye-lights were blazing and his fists were clenched. “How can you be so reckless? So—so selfish! You—”

“Papyrus, stop it!” Red yelled, and Edge immediately froze at the use of his real name, as if he'd suddenly realised what he’d been saying.

“Edge,” Papyrus said, his voice small, “please, I have to do this. If I don’t—”

“Do whatever the fuck you like,” Edge spat, and Papyrus flinched. “But don’t expect me to stand around and watch while you get yourself killed.” With that, he turned and stormed up the stairs, slamming the basement door behind him.

Papyrus sighed.

“Hey, cheer up bud, he’ll get over it.” Red put a comforting hand on Papyrus’ shoulder.

“I dunno, I’ve never seen him that pissed.” Papyrus’ soul slumped.

Red scoffed.

“Ha! Please, I’ve seen him get more pissed over a missing bag of chips. Trust me, you just gotta give it time. And judging by the way he had you pinned to floor earlier, if he doesn’t calm down soon, he’ll probably get horny again and decide to forgive you anyway.” Red grinned.

“Heh, thanks Red. A little creepy, but thanks.”

“No problem pal.” Red glanced at the Machine. “Although… he does have a point about that thing. You should take it easy. Don’t use too much magic at once, you should probably limit yourself to once per day. It’ll probably take longer, but at least you’ll live to see the end of it.”

Papyrus nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right, I don’t know if Sans would forgive me if I got myself killed.”

“I wouldn’t forgive you either, Stretch," Red said, earnestly. Papyrus looked up at him in surprise. "You’re not completely worthless, you know. You’re the only other person who appreciates puns as much as I do. I want you _tibia_ okay.”

Papyrus chuckled.

“Thanks Red, you’re not such a bonehead yourself you know.”

“Hey, don’t insult me. I will not have my title of bonehead revoked.”

“Yeah, whatever, bonehead.” Papyrus stifled a yawn. “Think I’m gonna go try and get some sleep. Didn’t really get much last night.”

“Heh, wish I had that luxury. I gotta be at sentry duty in an hour,” Red said, sourly. “Guess I’ll wake your bro up in the meantime, help him get ready for his training.”

Papyrus felt his soul lurch. He’d forgotten about that.

“Oh yeah… right.” Papyrus followed Red up the stairs, a sinking feeling in his soul.

This was one thing he didn’t know how to protect his brother from.

 

****

Sans awoke to the feeling of someone lightly shaking him by his shoulders.

“Mmm… heh?”

“Sans, it’s Red, wake up.” Sans opened his eyes to find himself staring into deep crimson eye-lights.

“Wha—Red? What are you doin’ere?” Sans mumbled, head still groggy with sleep. He hadn’t slept very well; Papyrus had been tossing and turning all night.

“Have you forgotten?” Red grinned, flashing his golden tooth. “Today’s the day you start your training, bud.” Sans’ eye sockets suddenly widened, sleepiness forgotten, and he leapt out of bed, almost knocking Red over.

“Good gracious how could I have forgotten? I must get ready at once!” Sans began rushing around the room, gathering his clothing and started to get undressed, almost forgetting that Red was in the room.

“Oh, uh, do you want some, er, privacy?” Sans looked up to see Red covering a hand over his eyes. Sans blushed a deep cyan.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry, I uh—yes please!” Sans’ cheek bones felt warm.

“Uh, come downstairs and have some breakfast when you’re, um, dressed.” Red hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Sans was still blushing as he pulled on the remainder of his clothes, tying his blue bandana around his neck. When he met Red in the kitchen he saw his brother there too, just finishing a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Papy,” he greeted. “How are you feeling?”

“A little tired bro, think I’m gonna go back upstairs and try to get some more rest.” Sans noted that Papyrus did look rather drained, his eye-lights dim and cheek bones slightly sallow. “Have fun at your, um, training today.”

“I certainly will, brother! Soon I will be a strong warrior!” Papyrus gave him a wry smile.

“I’m sure you will, buddy.”

Once his brother had left the room, Sans retrieved the box of cookies Red had managed to sneak him from the local shop—after much insistent begging on Sans' part of course. Apparently Edge was such a neat freak, that he didn’t even like having too much food in the house, saying it would clutter up the kitchen. Once he was seated and had begun munching on the cookies, he noticed Red’s grin.

“What is it, Red?”

Red’s grin widened.

“Did you know your bro and mine are hooking up?”

Sans felt as if his soul had been cleaved in two.

“They w-what?” His voice barely came out a whisper. Red didn’t seem to notice Sans’ sudden gloom.

“Heh, yeah. Caught them at it this morning, on the basement floor too.”

“They… they were kissing on the basement floor?”

“Oho, much more than kissing my friend. I think if I hadn’t walked in they would have taken things straight to the _bonezone_ , you know what I’m saying?”

Sans’ limbs suddenly felt heavy, his soul dropping. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“I-I—I have to go!” He quickly jumped up, not hearing Red’s protest, and ran out the door, tears already pooling in his eye sockets. He fled into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him, and let the tears flow over his cheek bones.

Sharp, painful sobs escaped from his chest, and he slid against the door, sitting with his knees up, head hidden in his arms. He couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, heavily, knowing they were staining his cheeks blue.

For so long, Sans had watched his brother with other monsters – he would flirt with them, bring them home, even talk about them to Sans. And Sans would pretend that he didn’t mind, smile when his brother told him about a new crush, or a fling. He had to look the other way and pretend not to notice when Papyrus tried to sneak them into his bedroom. Sans would pretend that he didn’t mind it when Papyrus asked if he could have the house to himself, or when he told him he’d be out for the night. And Sans would keep smiling, and keep pretending – pretending that it was okay.

But the truth was, it wasn’t okay. Sans wasn’t okay. Every time Papyrus flirted with someone in front of him, it stung a little deeper. Every time he brought someone home, and they went off to his bedroom, it hurt a little more. And every time he saw Papyrus, looking at someone, with those eyes – those eyes that made Sans’ soul flutter slightly, made it feel warm, made him feel safe – every time Sans saw Papyrus looking at someone else that way, Sans’ soul would break a little more. Because Papyrus wasn’t looking at _him._ Because _he_ wasn’t the one Papyrus would flirt with, or take out on dates, or cuddle with late at night. Because Sans wasn’t to Papyrus what Papyrus was to Sans. Because he didn't love Sans the way Sans loved him.

“Blue?” A gentle knock on the door broke Sans out of his thoughts. “Blue, it’s Red. Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” Sans choked out between sobs. “I j-just need to be a-alone for a bit.” Sans tried to stifle his sobs, not wanting Red to hear him.

“Blue, please, let me in. Tell me what the matter is. I can help.”

“N-no, you c-can’t help.”

“Okay, I’ll just wait out here for you. Let me in when you’re ready.” Sans heard a thud as Red slid against the door, sitting against it in the passage outside.

“R-Red…”

“Shh, it’s okay Blue, there’s no rush. I’m right here when you need me.”

Sans felt his sobbing subside a little. He could hear Red gently tapping his phalanges on the carpet outside. Wiping his face with his sleeve, Sans stood up and opened the door, and Red immediately jumped to his feet in surprise.

“Blue, are you—”

Sans threw his arms around Red, fresh tears bursting to the surface. Red gave a startled yelp.

“O-Oh Red, I-I’m sorry,” Sans sobbed, “I j-just—it h-hurts so much.” Sans buried his head in Red’s shoulder. “I-I’ve tried t-to stop myself f-from being selfish, but…”

Red, who had grown rigid, slowly relaxed his posture, and brought his arms around Sans.

“Hey there, it’s okay,” Red soothed, patting Sans on the back. “There’s no need to be upset, it’s alright.” Sans wailed into Red’s jacket, spilling cyan tears onto the black material. “Hey, come on, let’s sit in here.” Red guided Sans into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them, and sat them both down on the edge of the bathtub, a comforting arm still around Sans. “Tell me, Blue, what is it that’s bothering you? Is it because I said bonezone? I'm sorry buddy, I was only teasing you know.” Sans continued to sob, face in hands. He couldn’t tell Red… could he? He’d kept this to himself for so long, maybe it would be good to finally let it all out. But no! He’d promised himself never to share these feelings. What if they told him it was wrong? Or hated him? What if his brother… hated him? Sans began bawling with renewed vigour, body shaking as his breath hitched uncontrollably. He felt Red’s grip around him tighten.

“Hey, hey, what is it Blue? Tell me what’s wrong, I want to help.”

Sans shook his head.

“C-can’t…” he wept.

“Hey, yes you can. I’m you remember? Look at me.” Red brought a hand under Sans’ chin, and tilted it up so that their eye-lights met. “Talk to me, Sans.”

Somehow, the use of his real name brought on a tirade of emotion, and suddenly Sans couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh, Red! I-I can’t stand it!” he cried. “E-every time I s-see him, with another m-monster I…” Sans trailed off, looking away from Red.

“Who are you talking about? Edge? Why would you…”

Sans gave a small shake of his head, hiccoughing slightly.

“Then…” Something suddenly seemed to click in Red’s mind, as he put the pieces together. “Your brother. You—you love him, don’t you?”

Sans sniffed, hiccoughing again, and nodded, bringing a hand up to wipe his eyes.

“Do… do you hate me?” he whispered, breath hitching.

“Hate you? No Sans, I could never hate you.”

“B-but you think I’m—that I’m d-disgusting, don’t you? Y-you think…” Sans gave a small sob. Red shook his head.

“No Sans, I don’t.” Sans looked up at Red, who was regarding him with a sincere expression, eye-lights holding his gaze. “In fact Sans, I think you’re pretty wonderful. I don’t think you could ever be disgusting. And never, in a million years, could I hate you. You got it?” Sans nodded. “Good.”

Red held Sans for a couple of minutes, stroking a hand over his skull as Sans continued to hiccough, still sniffling.

“I understand that it’s hard Sans, believe me, I do. In fact…” Red drifted off, as if he was struggling to get the words out. He swallowed. “In fact I used to feel the same way about my brother.”

Sans looked up, eyes wide.

“Y-you did?”

Red nodded.

“Yeah. It was a long time ago, but I used to be the same. Every time I saw him with another monster, it hurt, it really did." There was a distant expression on Red's face, and he took a deep breath. "But, after a while, it sort of just… went away. I moved on. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still love my bro, and sometimes,” Red breathed in again, as if composing himself, “sometimes I wish things could have turned out differently. That maybe he could have felt the same way I did, at the time. But at the end of the day, I think it’s for the best.”

“H-how did you do it? Get over him?”

Red shrugged.

“I dunno, I don’t know why it happened but over time, those feelings just… faded. I can’t say that the same will happen for you.” Sans felt himself tearing up again, and Red seemed to notice. “But that’s not to say things won’t get easier. Eventually you’ll just… move on. And things will feel alright. You’ll always love your brother, in one way or another. But sometimes seeing him happy, whether it’s with you or not, will just become… enough.” Red smiled. “And hey, I’m not exactly good at… you know, that mushy stuff, but if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, well—” Red eyed his jacket “—you’ve already ruined this jacket, so y’know, doesn’t really matter if ya do it again.” Sans giggled.

“Th-thank you Red,” he said, wrapping his arms around the other skeleton. Red went stiff for a moment, but then returned the hug. “And y-you know, you’re not that bad at that mushy stuff.” Red scowled, and punched Sans’ shoulder playfully. “Oh and Red?” Sans looked up to meet Red’s eye. “P-please don’t tell anyone… about—”

“Not a word, bud,” Red said, earnestly. “Now come on, let’s get you cleaned up, you ‘n Boss have gotta leave soon. Today will be good for you. I know nothing cheers me up more than punching some stuff.”

Sans laughed, his soul feeling a little lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the angst :|


	21. Chapter 21

“Have you been… crying?”

“N-no!”

Sans quickly wiped his cheeks and eye sockets with his bandana. He was standing beside Edge, both skeletons dressed in their battle armour, standing tall, and waiting. They were outside Undyne’s house, and Edge had been giving Sans a run-down of how things would proceed. First, he’d explained, he had some matters to discuss with Undyne – confidential matters. This meant that Sans would have to wait in the other room while they did so. Once that was done, Undyne would likely give Edge a task, relating to his Royal Guard duties.

“But I should be able to convince her to let me stay for the first hour of your training,” Edge had said. After the training session was over, Red would drop by, to take Sans home.

“Under no circumstances are you to leave before Red arrives, is that understood?” Sans nodded. “And don’t wander while you are waiting for him. Undyne might have to leave you alone for a bit, so it would be best if you did not leave her house if she’s not around.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Hm, good.” Edge turned and gave three firm knocks, the door opening to reveal Undyne, who was dressed in her normal gear, except she was now sporting a tall red spear.

“Ngah, sup Edge!” She and Edge shook hands. “And Blue, you ready to start your training? I’m warning you, it’s not gonna be easy. You sure you’re up for the challenge?”

“Of course I am, Captain!” Blue put his hands on his hips and stood as tall as he could, barely reaching the waists of the other two. “I am prepared for battle!”

“Ha, I like your enthusiasm! But we’ve gotta toughen you up before all that! Come on in guys.” They followed her indoors where Undyne gave Edge a deliberate look, then walked over to the door at the back of the room. Edge turned to Sans.

“Sorry Blue, but this is where you must wait. Why don’t you, um, examine some of these weapons while we talk?” Edge followed Undyne through the door, leaving Sans alone in the small living room.

Sans huffed at being left out, glancing around the room. It looked much the same as it had last time, weapons in all sorts of odd places. He noticed a pair of nunchucks hanging out of a drawer. He slowly walked up to them, opening the drawer and examining them. He picked them up, and began to swing them experimentally. One of the ends knocked the lamp which stood on a nearby table, and it began to wobble. Sans dropped the nunchucks, catching the lamp before it could fall. He decided to put the weapon back in its drawer.

He approached a large sword which was leaning against the wall next to the door. It was long, very long. In fact, it would have been taller than Sans if it was completely upright. He tried to lift it at the hilt, using all his strength. It barely shifted. Giving up, Sans looked around, and noticed something glinting under one of the counters in the kitchen. He walked over curiously, bending down and reaching beneath it, withdrawing the object.

It was a knife.

Nothing special, just a plain, unseemly, albeit polished, silver knife. He stared at it, and saw his reflection in the metal. Suddenly, he saw a flash of white snow, a piece of dusty blue cloth, red and gold halls, something slashing through the air, someone lying on the floor, surrounded in blood—Sans dropped the knife, startled. He looked around frantically. He was still in Undyne’s kitchen. Breathing heavily, he looked down at the knife. It lay on the ground, innocent. Sans kicked it back under the counter, and decided he’d had enough of weapons, deciding to go on Red’s phone instead, which he’d snagged from the house before leaving.

Sans took a seat on the living room sofa, and typed in Red’s passcode. 6969. Sans wondered what the significance of that was. After getting bored of the games, he decided to aimlessly scroll through Red’s contacts, a few familiar names popping up here and there. Suddenly he came across a very familiar name indeed: Sans L.

Sans frowned. It certainly wasn’t his number, he didn't even have his own cell phone, and the one that his brother had occasionally lent to him had been left in their own universe. There was no way Red could have gotten his number before that. And what did the L stand for? Curiosity getting the better of him, Sans hit the call button. The familiar dial tone of an unregistered number beeped through the receiver. Odd, Sans thought, why would Red have an unregistered number in his phone, saved as Sans L? Shrugging, Sans decided he’d ask Red later, and instead decided to go through Red’s social media, curious to see if Red’s internet persona was anywhere near as magnificent as his own. He felt a little guilty, Red having warned him previously not to use any of the social apps. But what Red didn't know couldn't hurt him, right?

Sans found an icon that looked like a social app, depicting two monsters who seemed to be talking to each other. Sans opened it, and it displayed a profile under the pseudonym ‘BoneGrindr69’. Sans decided that 69 must be Red’s lucky number, he certainly used it a lot. There was a picture of Red, a grin on his face, eye sockets lidded, his gold tooth glinting. Underneath the picture was a description. ‘Just a bonely skeleton looking for a friend ;) hmu if ur 6”+’. Sans wondered what that could possibly mean. He wasn’t very familiar with internet slang, always preferring to present himself with more prestige. He decided to look through some of Red’s messages. Perhaps he’d find someone friendly enough to chat to!

Sans found himself slightly disappointed at many of the conversations, if they could even be called that. Most were succinct, and used that strange short internet language Sans didn’t understand.

**dtf?**

**sure.**

**8:30?**

**c u then.**

Most of the other messages bore similar resemblance to this, and Sans soon found himself getting bored. Then he came across a particularly long conversation. Excited at his discovery, he opened the chat log, scrolling through Red’s conversation with the monster named ‘BigManFlameo’.

**hehe, good seeing u tonight. u were smokin’**

**hilarious.**

**no i’m serious. you really rattled my bones**

**night red**

**aw, wat? no goodnight kiss**

**…**

**hehe, fine. how bout a pic then?**

**u first.**

**ha, no problem big guy, but u asked for it.**

Sans screeched and threw the phone across the floor. That. That had been Red’s… Sans blushed. Why under the stars would Red send someone a picture of that! Sans felt the cyan across his cheek bones deepen. He had seen Red’s—Red's appendage! Oh stars, he shouldn’t have gone through Red’s phone like that! It was such an invasion of his privacy! Sans’ thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening. He turned to see Edge and Undyne emerging.

“Everything alright, Blue?” Edge asked, giving Sans an odd look.

“Um, yes! Everything is fine.”

Edge’s eyes flickered to the phone lying on the floor.

“Is that my brother’s cell phone?”

“N-no!” Sans said, defensively, quickly retrieving the phone. Edge raised his brow bone. “Well, yes.” Sans hung his head.

“Hm. Well, as it turns out, it is actually rather fortunate you brought that along, as I will be leaving you now. I am needed urgently at the Core.”

“W-what?” Sans’ eyes widened. “You’re leaving? But-but what about my training!”

“Your training will go on as planned, I simply will not be here to observe. There is no need for concern, Undyne has told me her training plan for today - I'm certain you'll manage.”

“B-but…”

“Don’t worry punk!” Undyne interrupted, grinning. “I’ll go easy on you! Well, no, that’s not true. But I have a good feeling about you, kid! I’m almost certain you’ll survive!”

“S-survive?”

“Good luck Blueberry,” Edge bid him farewell. “My brother will be here in about two hours to collect you. Don’t forget what I told you – no wandering!” And with that, Edge turned on his heel and disappeared out the front door, leaving Sans alone with Undyne.

“So, punk, ya ready?”

“I-I’m…”

“Hey, don’t worry little Blueberry, I was just messing with you. We’re just gonna start with the basics today, yeah? So I can get a feel for what your strengths are.”

Sans suddenly remembered why he was here, and felt a rush of determination in his soul.

“Okay, Captain, I am ready!” he declared.

“Ngah! That’s what I like to hear. Follow me.” Undyne led Sans to the front yard, where a training dummy stood. Sans recognised it from his own universe, outside Alphys’ house. Though this one looked a little worse for wear.

“Am I going to beat that up?” Sans asked, pointing at the dummy.

“Not yet,” said Undyne. “I wanna work on defence first. No point in being able to fight if you can’t take a hit. Now, I want you to stand your ground.” Sans planted his feet firmly onto the ground, holding his fists in front of him in a defensive position Alphys had taught him. “Yeah, nice work, that’s a good stance. But, be careful that you’re not too heavy on your feet, otherwise—”

Without warning, Undyne flung a magical glowing spear directly at Sans’ head. He barely had time to gasp in shock, before it halted right in front of his eyes, and turned to dust.

“Otherwise, YOU’RE DEAD MEAT!” Sans jumped at the sudden increase in volume of Undyne’s voice. “Now come on, DODGE THEM!” Undyne began hurtling spears at Sans, who was forced to dive out of the way, three spears piercing the ground where he had been a mere second ago. “DON’T STOP, KEEP MOVING!” Sans rolled out of the way just as another spear embedded itself in the grass. He jumped to his feet, running out of the way, and feeling the wind right next to his skull as a spear whizzed past his head.

This was not at all like Captain Alphys’ training. She had taught him to stand his ground, pinning his soul and turning it green, forcing him to defend himself with a shield. But here, all he could do was run, Undyne hadn’t given him anything to defend himself with and… Sans suddenly realised something, and wanted to slap himself in the face, not believing how foolish he was being. He ducked, a spear almost scraping the top of his skull.

“FASTER!” Undyne roared, sending a flurry of spears towards Sans. He barely had a moment to react, standing his ground, and pulling at his own magic from within his soul. He thrust his arms up in front of himself, and a blue wall of bones ripped up from the ground, between himself and the flying spears. The spears crashed against the wall, shattering, and sending splinters of bone flying in all directions.

“THAT’S THE STUFF!” Undyne shouted, grinning. She was standing tall, feet apart, her own spear still grasped in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, she directed another two spears at Sans, each coming from a different direction. Sans dodged out of the way of one, and sent a conjured bone hurtling at the other, driving it off course. “THAT’S RIGHT, KEEP IT UP!” Another spear – this one swinging behind Sans and catching him off guard. He yelped as he felt it make contact with the back of his skull, but it disintegrated before it could do any damage. “Ngah! Don’t sweat it, kid, that one always catches newbies. You’ll get ‘em next time! And if you don’t well… YOU’LL JUST DIE THEN WON’T YOU?”

This continued on for a while, Undyne shouting words of encouragement, or, occasionally, belittlement, until finally, she halted her onslaught, and stuck her own spear into the ground. Sans was panting heavily, sweat beading on his skull.

“Ha! Good job, kid. I think that’s enough for today.” Undyne grinned at him. “I must say, better than I expected! You sure you’ve never had any kind of training before?” Sans shook his head, profusely. “Huh. Guess you’re just a natural then.”

“What areas can I improve on, Captain?” Sans asked, eager to become better. He had to be as great and magnificent as possible if he was to join to Royal Guard! Especially in this universe.

“Well, your defence was good. Could use some refining, but pretty solid. Your attack though… not so much. You didn’t even attempt to hit me once.”

“B-but you told me not to attack today! Only defence!”

“If your enemy told you not to attack them would you do it?”

Sans opened his mouth, then shut it again, frowning.

“But—but, that’s cheating!”

“Ha! Of course it is! But you gotta remember, when you’re facing someone, they’re not gonna care who you are, how you fight, what the _rules_ are. In the real world, there are no rules. Either your opponent strikes you down, or you kill them before they can.”

Sans froze.

“K-kill them? But…”

“But what? It’s you or them! You’ve gotta be quick, ruthless, there can’t be any hesitation! Either you kill them, or they kill you.”

Sans’ soul suddenly felt cold. He stared up at Undyne, eye-lights wide.

“But what if I—”

“Hope you’re not teaching our Blueberry those annoying battle cries of yours, Undyne.” Sans turned to see Red strolling casually up the path, hands in his pockets, lazy grin on his face. “It’s only his first day after all, you’ve gotta give him at least a week before you turn him into a miniature you. Sup, Blue? How was training?”

“Red!” Sans cried, flinging his arms around the other skeleton, who gave a startled grunt.

“Ngah! Please, Red. Even your brother has not perfected my infamous battle cry.”

Red shrugged.

“Nah, my bro’s too cool for that. He just comes up with his own. So, what’d you teach him today?”

“Just the basics, defence, dodging. And some theory too about how to ruthlessly strike your enemy down, without hesitation.”

Red frowned.

“A bit soon for that, isn’t it?”

Undyne shrugged.

“Kid’s gotta learn at some point, better sooner than later.”

“Right.” Red was still frowning. “Well, I’d best be getting Blue home, I’ve gotta get back to my sentry position. Take care, Undyne.”

“Later, runt. Blue.” She nodded her goodbyes. Sans and Red made their way down the path, entering an area at the centre of which stood quiet pool of water, faintly glowing grass sprouting around it.

“Let’s sit here for a minute,” said Red, and they both lowered themselves onto the soft grass. “So, how was training?”

“It was good,” said Sans, but his mind was still on Undyne’s words about striking down your enemy. Red seemed to sense something was up.

“Something bothering you?” he asked.

“It’s just… Undyne said that… if I wanted to survive, I’d have to… have to kill.” Sans fell silent, staring at the misty glowing waters, watching the small sparks fly off it. Red sighed.

“Look, Blue, I know this world may seem brutal – and it is, most of the time you do have to kill to survive.”

“Oh,” said Sans, staring at his feet.

“But you always have a choice, Blue. Always.” Sans looked up at Red.

“Did you?”

Red looked taken aback.

“Well I—I, uh… Yes, I did.”

“And you chose to kill?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not quite as simple as that.”

“But you just said you always have a choice.”

Red looked exasperated.

“Well, you do, technically, but—”

“But what? Do you, or don’t you?”

“You do! But sometimes there’s only one choice! The choice to kill to protect someone you love. No that isn’t a choice—that’s a no-brainer.” Red’s eye-lights were bright, his face pulled into a grimace. Sans immediately went quiet.

“Oh.” He finally said, unable to stand the silence. “I’m sorry, Red. I didn’t think—”

“Yeah you’re right, you didn’t think.” Red stood up, helping Sans to his feet. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

Later that night, when everyone else had gone to sleep, Sans lay awake. Papyrus lay beside him, nuzzled into Sans’ side, breathing deeply. Sans couldn’t stop thinking of what Red had said. If it came down to it – if someone tried to hurt his brother, would it really be a choice? To let his own brother die, just to preserve his own conscience? Sans snuggled closer to Papyrus, feeling as if he might lose him at any second.

No, he thought, no it wouldn’t be a choice.


	22. Chapter 22

“Mweh heh! Edge, I cannot believe you cooked tonight – and that it’s delicious! Nothing like my own brother’s cooking. He would burn water!”

They were all sitting around the table, eating the spaghetti Edge had prepared. It had been about three days since Sans had trained with Undyne, and Red and Edge hadn’t been home much. Both had said they’d been very busy working on a case for Undyne, but refused to divulge any details to the Underswap brothers, saying it was highly confidential.

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Papyrus said through a mouthful of pasta. “Remember that one time? I made… those erm…”

“Brother, you could sit here for days and you would not be able to come up with a single unburnt dish you have cooked.”

“No, no, that’s not true. One time I forgot to defrost the meat.”

Sans grimaced.

“How could I forget?” He shook his head. “Anyway, the point I am trying to make here is that bad cooking is obviously not a trait inherent of all the Papyruses!”

“Neither is self-preservation,” Edge mumbled. Everyone suddenly went quiet and stopped eating. Across from him, Sans saw Red roll his eye-lights slightly, sighing.

The past couple of days, there had been a very apparent tension between Edge and Papyrus. Both refused to tell Sans what was going on, but Red had explained that it had something to do with fixing the Machine. Sans didn’t see how this could cause such hostility between his brother and Edge though. He had asked Red if there was anything he could do to help, but Red had waved him off, telling him they’d sort it out soon enough. Sans wasn’t so sure. Three days seemed like a long time to stay angry.

“Hmm, something you’d like to say, Edge?” Papyrus wore his usual smirk, but Sans could sense the rigidity in his tone.

“Oh there are plenty of things I’d like to say,” Edge started, but Sans saw Red shoot him a warning look, “but… this is not appropriate dinner conversation, so I will not say them. Thank you, Blue, I appreciate your admiration of my cooking.” Edge regarded Sans with a polite nod, and Sans smiled weakly. An uncomfortable silence fell, and, desperate for a conversation topic, Sans turned to Red.

“Um, so Red… who is Sans L?”

Edge snorted, choking slightly on a mouthful of food, and Red blushed deeply, eye sockets widening.

“W-what! I—I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Red looked frantic. “H-hey, you went through my phone didn’t you? I knew I shouldn’t have told you the passcode, you conniving fiend!”

Sans was startled at the reactions of both Underfell brothers, unsure what door he’d just opened.

“Hey! I don’t get what the big deal is? The number wasn’t even registered!”

Papyrus suddenly seemed to perk up, smirking at Red.

“Oh, a disconnected number? That must mean it’s someone from another universe. And Sans L? That can only mean… it’s Sans from Underlust isn’t it? Oh Red, you naughty little—”

“Shut the fuck up right now, you smartass.” Red glowered at Papyrus, expression dark, and Papyrus shut his mouth, still smirking.

“What’s… Underlust?” Sans asked, confused.

“Oh little Blueberry, you mean your brother has never told you about the greatest universe in existence?” Edge asked, a smirk playing onto his features.

Sans looked at Edge, startled. He’d never seen the violent skeleton look so amused.

“N-no? Papy, what is Underlust? I demand you explain!”

To Sans’ surprise, his brother flushed a pale shade of amber.

“Um… maybe another time bro…”

“Oh come on, Papyrus,” Edge’s devious smile widened, “we’re all dying to hear.”

“You know what?” Papyrus folded his arms. “Why don’t we ask Red to explain? He’s the one all flustered over the Sans from that universe.”

“Hey, no way!” Red waved his hands in protest. “He’s your brother, you do it!”

“Well it’s your fault he—”

“Oh, enough of this bickering! I’ll explain.” Edge turned to face Sans, who was feeling extremely baffled as to what had the other skeletons so unhinged. “Blue, I am certain you know what happens when two monsters are attracted to each other?” Sans felt flustered.

“W-what, you mean like when they love each other? Th-they kiss each other?”

Edge shook his head.

“Hmm, not quite. Attraction and love are quite different, and it is often more than just kissing. I’m talking about sex.”

Sans’ cheek bones burned brighter than he’d ever felt them burn before.

“W-what!”

“Yes, well in this world, they basically all just—”

“Okay, that’s enough! He’s heard enough!” Papyrus interrupted, sharply, glaring at Edge, who fell silent, but still looked slightly amused.

“S-so, the whole world is revolved around… se—that?” Sans had never been more alarmed in his life. He was certain his cheek bones must be aflame by how brightly he could feel them burning right now. Sans turned to Red, realisation suddenly sending a shock through his soul. “R-Red, you associate with this person! That’s so—so dirty!” Sans suddenly gasped. “That’s why you sent that picture to BigManFlameo! The one of your—your member!”

The moment the words were out, Sans clapped a hand over his mouth, realising what he’d said. But the embarrassment he felt was nothing compared to the look on Red’s face. Sans had never seen anyone look more abashed in his life. Red’s cheek bones flushed a deep cherry, and his eye-lights went out. Sans saw both Papyrus and Edge’s eye sockets widen, before they both broke into hysterical laughter.

“Oh… my… stars…” Papyrus managed to get out between guffaws. “R-Red, if I’d… known you were into that, I would’ve hit you up… s-sooner.”

“Brother, you… you actually…” Edge began, but had to stop, unable to stop the tears from brimming at his eye sockets.

Sans felt a guilty weight crashing around his soul. He had completely humiliated Red! And exposed one of his very deep secrets, apparently. And after Red had promised not to tell anyone about Sans’ deepest secret.

“R-Red, I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Oh Christ, screw you all, I’m gonna take a shower.” Red stood up abruptly, and stormed out of the room.

“It’s gonna take more than a shower to wash away those sins, Red!” Papyrus called, still chuckling. Once Red had gone, Sans turned to glare at Edge and Papyrus.

“You two are both horrible!” he scolded.

“Hey, we’re not the ones who exposed him, bro!”

Sans flushed.

“It was an accident! Ugh, whatever!  You two can sit here being rude about it, I’m going to go talk to him before he drowns himself!” Both Edge and Papyrus immediately stopped laughing, looking shocked. Sans didn’t wait for a response though. He marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs, knocking on the closed bathroom door. “Red?” he said, cautiously. “Red, it’s me, Sans. Um, look, I’m really sorry about—about exposing you like that. I-I didn’t mean to! I-I just…” Sans drifted off, unsure of what to say. He sighed. “Red? Red, I’m coming in, is that okay?” No response. Sans decided to go in anyway, pushing the door open, and seeing Red sitting on the edge of the bathtub, just as he and Sans had been the other day. “Red, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tell the others… and I didn’t want to make you mad, I just—”

“I’m not mad,” said Red, not looking up. Sans approached, sitting down tentatively next to Red.

“Well, still, I shouldn’t have told them that, it sort of just slipped out and—”

“Hey, Blue, it’s not a big deal,” Red said, smiling gingerly. “Boss knows more about me than anyone. And your brother… well, no offence, but he seems like the type to have some skeletons in his closet. I’m sure I can dig up some dirt on him, get my revenge.”

Sans smiled.

“Thanks Red.” Red nodded, but something still seemed to be bothering him. “Hey, what is it, Red? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good, just… worried.”

“Worried? About what?” Sans asked, puzzled.

“It’s just… when you mentioned Sans – from Underlust – it reminded me of something. Remember when you and your brother first got here, and I found you? And how your brother was saying it seemed suspicious that I found you so easily?”

Sans frowned.

“Well, yeah, but…”

“The truth is,” Red continued, “I was actually expecting someone else – I was expecting Sans – Underlust Sans.”

“Oh,” Sans’ frown deepened. “But I don’t understand, what does that have to do with—”

“He never came.” Red looked up at Sans, expression solemn.

“O-oh, do you think something is wrong? That he’s in danger or—”

“No, I don’t think that’s it,” said Red. “I mean, I wasn’t completely sure that he was coming, usually he only stops by every couple of months, in that exact spot."

"And you wait there every day?" Sans asked, eyes wide. Red blushed.

"N-no! Well, I mean... when I get bored I sometimes just wander up there and—anyway, that's not the point! It’s just... it's been almost four months now and I haven’t seen him. I was expecting him to visit around the same time you guys arrived, but you’ve been here almost a month, and he still hasn’t showed. I don’t think anything’s wrong with him… that universe is usually pretty safe…”

“So, wait… what are you saying?” Sans could feel unease twisting his soul.

“What if… what if our Machine being broken has blocked our universe off somehow? Like, no one can get here anymore?”

Sans shook his head.

“But that doesn’t make sense, how would we have gotten here otherwise? Didn’t you tell my brother it broke before we arrived?”

“Oh, right.” Red considered for a moment. “Well… what if your arrival blocked it off somehow?”

“Well, I don’t know much about how those things work, but that doesn’t usually happen, does it?” Sans asked.

“No… it doesn’t. But you coming here wasn’t even meant to happen. You didn’t mean to come here. It’s almost like… like…”

“Like what?” The unease in Sans’ soul had increased to downright dread.

“Almost like something is trying to keep you here. I mean, think about it. You ended up here by accident, only days after our Machine stopped working. And now it seems like no one else can get here either. I mean sure, we don’t get many visitors here in Underfell, but I can’t remember the last time someone didn’t stop by for this long.”

Sans shivered, suddenly feeling very small and helpless.

“R-Red…”

“Or, you know, I’m just being paranoid, and Sans is mad at me or something. Wouldn’t be surprising.” Red smiled at Sans, but it was slightly strained. “Hey,” he said, putting a hand on Sans’ shoulder, “it’ll be okay, we’ll get that Machine fixed and then you guys will be able to get back.”

“Y-you think so?” Sans still felt slightly down.

“’Course.” Red smiled reassuringly. “It's going _tibia_ okay," he said, grinning, and Sans glared. They sat silently for a moment, Red’s hand still resting on Sans’ shoulder.

“Red?”

“Yes?”

“Are you and Sans… Sans from Underlust… are you two, like… together? Like, dating?”

Red flushed slightly, eyes going wide.

“Er, well no. We’re more like, um, lovers? We… don’t really date, it’s just… casual.” Red looked away sheepishly.

“Lovers?” Sans asked. “You mean, you love each other?” Red looked very uncomfortable.

“Well, no… not quite like that. It’s just um…”

Realisation suddenly hit Sans.

“Oh, you mean like… s-sex?” Sans forced the word out, feeling his cheek bones flushing.

“Y-yeah.”

“Oh.”

An awkward silence fell, neither skeleton making eye contact. After a few moments, Sans heard Red chuckle slightly. He looked up in surprise.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing, just… all this talk of Lust reminded me of something. You remember when you first got here, and I took you guys to my house?”

Sans was confused.

“Well… yeah, of course I do. I remember you trusted us right away! Because you knew we were your doppelgängers.”

Red shook his head.

“Well, that wasn’t the only reason. You kind of… kind of reminded me of Lust Sans, just a little bit." Red blushed, and Sans felt his eye-lights widen.

"Y-you—you what!" he squeaked. "Do I look like someone who—who does that sort of thing all the time? Did you think that I would... would—w-with you?" Red's cheeks turned a bright cherry, and he quickly shook his head, bringing up his hands defensively.

"Oh—n-no! Not at all! Not l-like that! I just—"

"Then why did I remind you of him? Is it because of my clothes?" Sans glanced down at his outfit, frantically. He didn't think he dressed like a... like someone who had sex. With... other monsters. Did he? "Do I look like a—"

"N-no! No, no, no!" Red was shaking his head furiously.

"Th-then what?"

"I—I just—"

"Red, what! What is it?"

"I just thought you were kinda cute, okay!" Red looked away, his cheek bones flaring. Sans froze, his soul doing a small flip in his chest.

"O-oh." He looked away, unable to keep his eyes on Red. "Um... thanks," he said, slowly, unsure whether to take Red's confession as a compliment or not.

“Uh, I mean, not anymore, of course!” Red said, quickly, and Sans couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of disappointment in his soul. It must have shown on his face, because Red hurried to correct himself. “Oh, no! I mean, you’re great, and, uh, you are, um—you are still... pretty cute… I guess. I mean, you do look like me so obviously heh. But um…” Red trailed off, looking away again. But Sans couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto his face.

"Th-thanks, Red." Red looked up, surprised.

"Oh, er... anytime..."

Sans felt shifty, embarrassed for springing the topic of sex and relationships on his rougher self, especially after revealing Red’s secret to the others. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder…

“Red?”

“Yes?”

“What does… what does it, um… feel like?”

“What?”

“Um…” Sans looked at his feet, his cheek bones hot, scuffing his boots on the bathroom tiles.

“Oh, you mean… sex?”

Sans felt a nervous flurry in his soul.

“Um, yes.”

“You mean you don’t know? Haven’t you…” Red drifted off, and Sans glanced up, seeing Red’s sockets going wide. “Oh, you’re—you’ve never…” Sans shook his head, feeling his blush deepen, and quickly looking down again. “Well there’s nothing wrong with that,” Red said.

“I know,” said Sans, though he felt unsure. “I just, um… so, what is it like?”

“Well, it’s…” Red was blushing even more deeply than before. “I mean, well you know what kissing feels like right? Kind of like… wait, you don’t?” Red asked, seeing Sans shaking his head once again. “You’ve never—you’ve never even kissed anyone?”

“It was my choice not to! It’s not that I haven’t… wanted to, it’s just that, I was saving my first kiss for… for…”

“For your brother.” Red didn’t state it as a question.

“Yes,” Sans said, staring at his feet. “But now, I suppose I’m beginning to realise that it will never happen.”

“So, do you want to have your first kiss then?”

Sans looked up in alarm.

“W-what?”

Red’s eyes widened and he blushed, seeming to realise the implications of his words.

“Oh! N-no, I didn’t mean with me! I just meant, maybe we could go to Grillby’s and, I dunno, there are some decent monsters there. It’s a bit late now, but maybe tomorrow night? Alcohol always helps to ease the tension.”

Sans felt doubtful.

“I don’t know… I mean, would your brother even let us out?”

“Well… we’d have to convince him to come with us… and that would probably require getting him drunk beforehand…”

“Red!” Sans gasped. Red held up his hands defensively.

“Okay, okay, only tipsy!”

“Red, that isn’t much better. We can’t just get your brother drunk so he’ll let us leave the house! And what about _my_ brother? He won’t just let us leave either! Red? Oh no, you’re not suggesting…”

“We get them both drunk.” Red grinned, deviously, and Sans wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him look so diabolical. “Think about it, it’s perfect! They’re mad at each other right now, what better way to get them to make up than giving them booze. That way we both win. They’re happy, we’re happy. It’s brilliant!”

“Red, no! We can’t just intoxicate our brothers like that! It’s-it’s wrong! And—and dangerous! We’ll be out in public, what if—what if we’re attacked or…”

“We’ll be fine! Undyne knows about you guys now, so we’ve got the Royal Guard behind us – the Canine Unit is in Grillby’s almost every night, it’ll be totally safe. Plus you’ll get to have your first kiss! Oh Blue, this is perfect.”

“Red, I don’t know…”

“Okay, let’s make a deal,” said Red, looking Sans in the eye. “If we successfully manage to get our brothers drunk tomorrow, and we go to Grillby’s and you have a horrible time, and don’t  kiss anyone when we’re there, then…”

“Then I get to keep your cell phone!” Sans declared. Red grimaced.

“Ugh, alright fine. But you _have to_ delete all my apps! Otherwise people will begin to think I’m a little blueberry, and we can’t have that.” Sans giggled, but Red then smiled mischievously. “But, if _I_ win, and you do kiss someone and you have a great night then I get to take you to my favourite place in the Underground, it’s a secret place – and you’re not allowed to protest.”

Sans felt confused.

“That doesn’t seem like much of a forfeit on my behalf,” he pointed out.

“Well, I want you to have fun tomorrow no matter what,” said Red, smiling, “so win or lose, you’re gonna get something out of it. So, do we have a deal?” Red held out his hand. Sans paused for a moment, but then decided to throw caution to the wind.

“Okay, deal!” His soul fluttered with excitement. “So, how do we get our brother’s drunk?”

Red paused.

“Hmm, good point.” Sans’ face fell. “But, don’t worry! I’ll make a plan. If I know my brother, the way to go is bourbon. And your brother…?”

“Total lightweight!” Sans grinned. Red smirked at him.

“I like this new devious side of yours, Blue. Make sure you bring it out tomorrow when we’re trying to snag you a date.”

Sans blushed deeply, and felt his soul pulse. While he could see this going wrong in many ways, he couldn’t help but glow slightly at the fact that Red was the one helping him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more Cherryberry! ◠‿◠✿


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the wonderful comments on the last chapter! A lot of people seemed very excited about the Cherryberry so...... there is none in this chapter! Nyeh heh heh ಠ◡ಠ  
> But fear not! The next chapter will be out soon!  
> Hope you enjoy!

Edge left early the next morning, having received an urgent text from Undyne telling him to meet her at her house immediately. He didn’t bother having breakfast, making his way to Waterfall before it was even light outside. He took the ferry, arriving at Undyne’s house just before the darkness had started to fade.

“'Sup punk, you're here early. That's good,” Undyne said when she opened the door. Her face was unusually solemn, and Edge frowned.

“I assume this is about the case?”

“It is – there's been a new development. Come in, we need to talk.” Edge followed Undyne inside the house, which was unusually dark. It was also even more cluttered than usual, her weapons scattered on the floor, and papers were strewn across the dining table. Edge soon realised why.

“Doctor Alphys,” he said in surprise, seeing the Royal Scientist sitting on the couch. Alphys wore only red and black, over which she sported a white lab coat. Her round glasses sat on the edge of her nose, and worry creased her forehead.

“Edge, it’s g-good to see you. Though I wish it were under better circumstances.” Edge seldom saw the Royal Scientist, as he rarely made trips to Hotland, but he had always noticed how she was more comfortable around Undyne, her stutter lessening slightly. Right now though, she seemed nervous.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Undyne said, indicating towards the sofa. She and Edge sat beside Alphys, Undyne in the middle. “Alphys has made a discovery – a breakthrough in the Core case. Though, I’m not sure it helps us.” Edge raised his brow bone.

“And what exactly does this breakthrough entail?”

“W-well,” Alphys began shuffling through her papers, “I was looking at some of the properties of one of the, uh, feral monsters that had been dusted and I, uh, d-discovered something… quite interesting.” Alphys paused, looking worriedly at Undyne, who nodded reassuringly.

“And?”

“A-and, well, initially I thought it was nothing… I mean, all monsters have different types of properties that m-make up their magic. A sort of unique, uh, trace, I guess. S-so, at first when I discovered this certain, um, property in the dust, I assumed it was that – the t-trace. But, when I delved a little deeper, I realised that it was actually…” Alphys trailed off and turned to her satchel, which was on the floor beside her, looking for something. She eventually extracted a small vial of greyish powder. Dust, Edge concluded. “This looks like ordinary dust right?” Alphys asked, holding the vial up.

“Isn’t it?” Edge asked.

“Look closer.”

Edge took the vial from Alphys’ hand, and brought it up to his face, inspecting it closely. For a few moments, he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but then…

“There’s something swirling in it… something… purple?”

Alphys nodded.

“Yes, there is. N-now, at first I thought that was just remnants of the monster’s magic or something, since that was the colour of its soul. Well its soul was actually…” Alphys looked up at Undyne, who gave the slightest shake of her head, and Alphys continued. “Um, anyway, the point is, I thought it was normal, just part of its magic, but…”

“But?”

“But normal magic isn’t strong enough to last after the monster has been dusted,” said Undyne. “That isn’t normal magic.”

“Then what—”

“It’s heat magic,” Alphys explained. “That monster was in heat when it was dusted.”

“It was in heat?” Edge asked, confused. “But what does that have to do with…”

“Well, as you may know, heat magic is a lot more potent than normal magic, but much more difficult to control, which is why we have to get rid of most of it through…” Alphys cleared her throat, “um, anyway, it seems that whatever is turning these monsters feral is sort of… forcing them to keep that magic inside them. But it’s far too much magic for them, so they lose control, and try to get rid of it—by k-killing.”

“And there’s something else too,” Undyne interjected. “You remember how before their souls seemed darker? Strangely shadowed?” Edge nodded. He had dusted a couple of these feral monsters himself, and while there hadn’t been any significant visible differences between their souls and normal monster souls, he had felt a strange darkness shrouding them, a corruption. It had almost permeated the vicinity, making his own soul feel cold. “Well,” Undyne continued, “there are more visible differences now. There’s a… like a sort of blackness within their soul. You can’t really see it unless you look closely – which, as I’m sure you know, isn’t exactly easy with these fuckers – but it’s almost as if they’re… evolving. As if the corruption is deepening somehow. But we can’t figure out what could be making them like this.” Undyne cursed silently. "Damn it, this case is so frustrating."

“I-I haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of the corruption from their dust alone,” said Alphys, looking up at Undyne with concern. “By the time they’ve been d-dusted, their souls are utterly destroyed, and I can’t properly examine their p-properties.”

Edge felt slightly queasy at this talk. Alphys spoke of these monsters as if they were nothing, as if they were just objects of her experiments. He knew that they were beyond saving, that they were barely even monsters anymore, their souls so filled with the single-minded urge to kill. But still, it bothered him for some reason.

“So we do not know what is causing this corruption?” he asked. “Magic, a chemical or drug of some sort?” Alphys shook her head.

“N-no, it is impossible for me to determine that without a living monster’s soul. Which is why…”

“Which is why we need to capture one,” said Undyne. “We need to capture one of these monsters so that Alphys can continue her research.” Edge felt his soul twist slightly.

“Is that really necessary? Could we not just—”

“N-no, this is the only way,” said Alphys, sweating slightly. “If I don’t have a proper soul, I won’t be able to see what is corrupting them.”

“Forgive me,” said Edge, slightly irritated. “I simply do not like the idea of caging living monsters like they’re experiments.”

“B-but that is what they are!” Alphys snapped, and Edge felt a surge of rage pass through his soul. “They’re hardly living, we _need_ these experiments to—”

“I understand that, _Doctor_ ” Edge said, coldly, and Alphys fell silent, shrinking in on herself, “but you are resorting to this too soon. Corrupted or not, these are _living_ monsters. It is _wrong_ to perform experiments on them. Experiments that could further their suffering. How can you—”

“Edge,” Undyne interrupted, voice calm, but sharp. “They’re hardly monsters, just corrupted souls. Alphys’ work is crucial to solving this case. If we do not get to the bottom of this, the corruption could spread. When will you decide to put your morals aside? After they hurt your friends? Your brother?”

Edge growled, conceding.

“Very well, Captain,” he snapped, narrowing his eye sockets. “You know I do not like it when you bring my brother into these discussions.”

“Ngah! That’s exactly why I do it, he is your weakness,” Undyne said, smirking. “But I promise you, this is for the best. And since you are my best soldier, I am asking you to be the one to capture one of these monsters. The King has offered to let us use the basement in his castle to hold them…” Undyne drifted off, and Edge frowned.

“King Asgore has offered to help us?” he asked, feeling suspicious. Over the past few months, the King had been locking himself away, refusing to speak with anyone, even Undyne. While he had always been rather aloof, and fairly selfish, he had at least contributed to the ruling of the Underground. Now he just stayed within his castle, seldom accepting visitors, and never leaving. He was a mere shadow of a King. This was why Edge did not trust that he had simply offered to allow them to use his very own basement to harbour one of these corrupt monsters.

“He has!” Alphys said. “He was very generous about it – said he wanted to help.”

Edge scowled.

“Hm. If he wanted to help, then perhaps his royal highness would leave the safe walls of his castle and actually assist in the ruling of his kingdom.” Edge’s tone was harsh, and Alphys winced slightly.

“I agree,” said Undyne, an edge of resentment to her voice, “but this is the best we have right now. It’ll be a lot easier than trying to smuggle a monster through the Core and Hotland - Alphys' lab would be more secure, but..." Edge sighed and nodded, standing up.

“I understand. And I assume you’ll be wanting me to begin right away?”

Undyne shook her head.

“Actually, I would first like you to lend a hand in finishing the construction of the holding cell in the basement of the castle,” she said, “then tomorrow, you and I will head over to the Core and catch ourselves a monster.” Edge shuddered slightly at the thought.

“Right.”

“We’ll head out in a few minutes but first, I need to ask you a favour, Edge.” Undyne looked slightly uncomfortable suddenly. Edge frowned, suspicion creeping into his soul.

“Yes?”

“It’s about Stretch.”

Edge flinched, feeling himself tense.

“What about him?” He failed to keep the tightness out of his voice.

“Well, as I’m sure you are aware, he only has one HP.”

“I am aware.” Edge narrowed his eye sockets. “What exactly is this about?” Undyne looked even more uneasy.

“Look, Edge, the thing is—”

“One HP monsters are extremely rare!” Alphys piped in. “In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever even heard of one in this—um, before. So, it would be interesting to um, run some tests on your, uh, houseguest to see—”

“What Alphys is trying to say,” Undyne interrupted, “is that, with your permission – and his – of course, she would like to meet Stretch and perhaps examine him, and his magic.”

“Absolutely not,” Edge growled, causing Alphys to flinch.

“B-but, Edge, I don’t think you understand how—how _useful_ he could be! A one HP monster is practically unheard of! With his help, I could—”

“The answer is no,” Edge spat. “He is not another one of your ghastly experiments. I will not allow it. As if it isn’t bad enough that you want to analyse the monsters from the Core, now you’re asking to do it to one of my friends? I will not allow it.”

“But—”

“That’s enough, Alphys,” Undyne said, placing a hand on the shorter lizard’s shoulder. “We said we’d ask and he’s given us his answer.”

“B-but, Undyne, you don’t understand—”

“Ngah! Alphys, I said enough!” Undyne snapped, and Alphys fell silent. “We asked him, he said no. There is no need to push this! There are more pressing matters at hand.” Alphys quivered slightly, and looked away, fidgeting. “We need to get to work on the holding cell. Until last week, there were about one or two feral monsters reported every few days. But in the last six days alone, there have been more than ten. Most have been taken care of, but there are still a few unaccounted for. We need to capture one of these monsters before the Core residents dust them in self-defence. This cell needs to be ready.”

“Hmm, I agree,” said Edge, pondering, “the sooner the better. What exactly still needs to be done?”

“Well, we’ve constructed the cell – or at least, redone one of the old cells that was already down there. The King, um, likes taking prisoners.” Edge shuddered, knowing of Asgore's fondness of... medieval forms of punishment. “We just need to reinforce it. Your magic will come in handy there. Also,” Undyne looked at Edge, gaze intense, her good eye flashing slightly, “you’re the only one, apart from Alphys, who I trust with this. No one else can know where this monster is being kept. While most of the Royal Guard – and probably half the Core residents at this point – knows about the existence of these corrupted monsters, they cannot know that we are experimenting on them, or where we are keeping them. If that information falls into the wrong hands, it could alert the culprit who is behind this that we’re onto them. This means that you cannot tell anyone about what we’re doing Edge, _anyone_ , got it? Not even your brother.”

“Captain,” Edge said, keeping his voice stoical and formal, “I believe that it would be unwise to keep my brother in the dark. He already knows much about the case, he may be of use—”

“You are _not_ to tell him, Edge. This remains between those of us in this room. Am I understood?” Edge frowned, holding Undyne’s fierce gaze for a couple of seconds, before nodding stiffly. “Good, then we’d best get going. There is little time to lose.” Edge glanced outside, seeing that it was growing light.

“I should inform my brother as to where I’ll be, it’ll look suspicious if—”

“Ngah! Edge, for the last time, you can’t tell your brother where we are, it could jeopardise the case!”

Edge scowled.

“Captain, I understand that confidentiality is a priority in this case, but my brother and I do not keep secrets from each other. I trust him completely, I really think it would be best if we—”

“Edge, for fuck’s sake, you’re _not_ gonna tell him anything – that’s a direct order. I get that you don’t like lying to your brother, but it’s for the best. He’s better off not knowing.”

Edge sighed, conceding.

“As you wish, Captain.” He felt an uncomfortable pang on guilt in his soul. Edge hated lying to his brother – he almost never did, and especially not on matters this grave. He and his brother did not keep secrets from each other – he knew Red trusted him fully. It felt wrong not to return that trust.

“Undyne, there’s one more thing,” said Edge. Undyne turned from where she’d been standing, about to open the front door, Alphys just behind her.

“What is it?”

“The disappearances… how many have there been?”

Undyne sighed, looking grim.

“Almost forty.”

Edge’s soul dropped.

“Forty? That can’t be right, last week it was only—”

“I know, only fifteen last week. But it seems with the increase in feral monsters, there’s also an increase in disappearances. And they’re not only disappearing at night anymore - probably has something to do with the evolution of these ferals. That’s why we’ve gotta stop this before it gets worse.” Undyne looked grave. “Ngah! I hate not being able to protect these monsters. And Asgore… well, let’s just say it would be nice if his kingliness would lend a hand when we actually needed one.” Undyne looked bitter, and Edge felt a small flash of anger at the mention of the King.

“I agree,” he said, scowling. “Let’s just hope he comes to his senses before it’s too late.”

“W-well, Asgore isn’t s-so bad,” Alphys said. “I mean, m-maybe he’s just very busy… a-and he is letting us use his basement…” She drifted off seeing the incredulous looks both Undyne and Edge were giving her. “Um, never mind, let’s just go work on the cell.” She hurried out the front door, Undyne and Edge giving each other a look before following. Alphys had been acting rather strange recently.

 

****

 

Alphys hurried up the marble stairs, papers clutched in her hands. This was definitely her least favourite part of her job. She’d always found him… intimidating. But recently, he had just been downright creepy. And she was late. Again. Shit.

She picked up her pace, rushing through the long hallway, and up yet another flight of stairs, until finally, she reached the large doors. Pushing them open, she stumbled inside, panting for breath.

“I’m so s-sorry I’m late!” she cried “I was… Yes, yes I was with Undyne, we were working on the case… N-no, she doesn’t know, I-I didn’t tell her… Y-yes! I did ask but—but… I’m s-so sorry! I tried to get him, b-but, Edge, he wouldn’t let me… W-what? You want to wait? B-but… Of course! Yes, I understand.” Alphys turned to leave, before the deep voice stopped her. She turned.

“Y-yes! Of course, th-thank you, your majesty. I will report again tomorrow.”

She couldn’t have been more grateful to get out of that throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just judging by a couple of the comments, it seems a few people have been led to believe that the purple dust was meant to be Lust Sans but I just wanted to point out that this wasn't my intention, sorry for the confusion! ●﹏● He's not dead! ✿✿


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter ended up being way longer than I intended it to be but I really didn't want to split it up so..... here you go! 5000 words of drunk skeletons!

Edge arrived home a lot later than Red had anticipated.

“Hey, Boss, you’re back late. Rough day?”

Edge strode past his brother without sparing him so much as a glance.

“Indeed. Now, do not disturb me, I’ll be in my room.”

Red felt a brief twinge of panic in his soul at his brother’s tone, but quickly recovered, hurrying after Edge and blocking his path to the stairs.

“Don’t you want some dinner? You must be starving, I didn’t even see you before breakfast.”

Edge seemed to consider for a moment, eye sockets narrowing.

“Who cooked?” he asked.

“Blue. He made tacos. And I asked him to use your favourite spice mix.” Red grinned at his brother, who was looking conflicted.

“I don’t know…”

“Hey, Boss, come on. You deserve a break. Besides, Blue loves it when you eat his food. And being nice to him might get you back in Papyrus’ good graces.” Red gave his brother a suggestive look, and Edge scowled.

“Ugh, like I care about getting back in the good graces of that prat. But fine, whatever. I’ll appease the little Blueberry if it makes you happy.”

Red grinned, breathing an internal sigh of relief.

“You’re the best, Boss.” He led his brother into the kitchen, where Sans was dishing up helpings of taco meat onto plates. Papyrus was sitting on the counter next to him, half-finished glass of whiskey in his hand. Red smiled inwardly. So Sans had already gotten his brother started on the alcohol? That was good.

“Yooo, what’s up guys?” Papyrus drawled, grinning as they walked in. Red’s own smile widened. And it seemed it was already taking effect. Even better. Honestly, Red thought, what a lightweight.

“Is that… my whiskey?” Edge asked, regarding the glass in Papyrus’ hand with a sour look.

“Oh… yeah,” said Papyrus, looking at the glass sheepishly. “Sorry dude.”

Edge frowned.

“Well, if he’s drinking, then I am too, damn it.”

“Heh, don’t think alcohol will be enough to dislodge that stick from your ass,” Papyrus said, smirking.

Edge ignored him, skulking over to the cabinet, and shoving Papyrus out of the way before withdrawing a half-empty bottle of bourbon. Red and Sans shared a brief triumphant look. This plan was playing itself out perfectly.

By the end of dinner, Edge had downed at least four glasses of bourbon, and was visibly more relaxed than he’d been when he’d arrived home. Papyrus on the other hand, despite barely having finished three glasses of whiskey, was incredibly tipsy, giggling constantly, and delivering an onslaught of unnecessary puns.

“Hey, bro, those tacos were great. We should _taco_ ‘bout having them again some time!” Papyrus covered his mouth with his hand, failing to stifle another giggle. Sans sighed, but still smiled up at his brother. Red had noticed that Sans had actually had a significant few drinks himself, but they didn’t seem to be affecting him much. He just appeared slightly apprehensive, and Red figured it was because of the ‘first kiss’ plan for tonight. Red had opted for just one drink, knowing that at least one of them had to have their wits about them when they went out. Seeing his brother finishing yet another drink, Red decided it was time to pop the question.

“Say… Boss, why don’t we, uh, continue this at Grillby’s? You don’t wanna waste all that good bourbon do you? We can get more drinks there.” He waited anxiously for his brother’s response, knowing this was the moment that decided their night. Edge turned to regard him, expression unreadable. His eye-lights were already looking slightly hazy, but his expression was still sharp and focused. Red knew he still had a long way to go before he was properly drunk. Shit, maybe he should have waited a little longer before asking. “Um, we don’t have to, you know, we could just—”

“No brother, I think that is an excellent idea.” Everyone looked up at Edge in surprise.

“Y-you do?”

“Absolutely. There is not enough alcohol in this house. We should go get more.”

Red and Sans shared a look that was somewhere between concerned and victorious. While Red felt a little alarmed at his brother’s enthusiasm, he was too excited to give it much thought. He was determined for Sans to enjoy his night.

“Well, that’s great,” he said, standing up. “I haven’t had too much to drink, I can just short-cut us—”

“I think I’d prefer to walk, brother. Your short-cuts are particularly uncomfortable.”

“But, Boss, it’s pretty late. Don’t you think it’s a bit too dangerous to walk?” Red twisted his hand uncomfortably in his collar. He had forgotten to account for his brother’s extreme over-confidence in his abilities after he’d had a few drinks.

“Please brother, I practically run this town, no one would dare approach me. You can take your little short-cut if you want but the Great and Terrible Papyrus will not be—”

“Oh come on Edge, what’s the matter?” Papyrus interjected, smirking. “Afraid to hold my hand? Look, if it makes you feel better, you can stand between Red and my brother, then we don’t even have to touch. Unless that’s what you want?” He grinned at Edge, and Red could have sworn he saw a brief flash of orange tongue licking over his teeth. A faint crimson flush coloured Edge’s cheek bones.

“Afraid? Please! I’m not afraid! I could hold your hand any time I wanted to!” Edge said, glaring at Papyrus, who only smirked wider. “Oh for heaven’s sake, fine! We’ll take your ruddy short-cut! I suppose it would get us there more quickly.” Edge stood up quickly. “And I really need more alcohol,” he mumbled, mostly to himself. Red didn’t miss the way his eye-lights briefly flickered to Papyrus, who was looking triumphant.

“Alright that’s settled then,” said Red. “Is everyone ready?”

“Wait!” Sans said, rushing out of the room. Red’s eye-lights followed him in confusion. Moments later he returned, carrying Red’s cell phone. “Okay, now I’m ready!”

“Hey! You haven’t won the bet yet!” said Red, snatching his phone out of Sans’ hand and shoving it in his pocket. Sans only grinned at him.

“Bet?” Papyrus asked, glancing between the two of them.

“Um, it’s nothing Papy,” Sans said, shifting a little awkwardly. “Let’s just go!” He then leaned in to whisper to Red, “I’m going to win the bet, Red, just you wait!” Red raised his brow bone.

“Do you not want to be kissed tonight?”

Sans looked a little flustered.

“I do! But… I’m just being prepared!”

Red smiled.

“Trust me, buddy, there will be plenty of monsters who wanna kiss ya.” Sans blushed, a small smile on his face. “Okay, now is everyone ready?” Red asked, speaking up again. Sans nodded.

“I am!” Edge declared, taking Red’s hand. Papyrus smirked, taking Edge’s other hand.

“Calm down Edgy,” he purred, leaning closer to Edge, “I know you’re excited to get me drunk, but please, save that enthusiasm for later.” Edge flushed and glared at Papyrus. Red was tempted to roll his eye-lights, but he could still feel himself grinning slightly. He suddenly noticed Sans’ slightly put-out expression. He frowned at Papyrus.

“Shut your lightweight mouth, Papyrus, or we’ll leave you behind,” he said, a little more sharply than he’d intended. Papyrus didn’t seem to notice though, simply feigning an innocent expression. Red took Sans by the hand and smiled at him reassuringly. “You ready, sweetheart?” he asked. The faint blue blush returned to Sans’ cheek bones, and he nodded, eye-lights sparkling.

“Ready.”

A slightly tingly feeling in his soul, Red teleported them out of the room.

 

****

 

The moment they landed in the snow just outside Grillby’s, Edge pulled his hand out of Papyrus’. Damn it. Drunk Papyrus was not good for his self-control. Papyrus was giving him an amused look, and Edge very deliberately pulled his gaze away from him.

“I need a drink,” he said, marching inside. The others followed closely behind him. Inside, the bar was crowded, but warm. It was lit by a dim purple light, much like that emitted by the fiery bartender, Grillby. As soon as they entered, the bar seemed to hush slightly, as the other monsters took them in. Edge was used to this reaction; it came with his reputation, and he appreciated the other monsters displaying their fear of him, despite Grillby’s ‘no murders in the bar’ policy.

Edge recognised most of the patrons; the Canine Unit were present, he noted, which was comforting. The dogs were loyal to Edge and Red, so it was unlikely they would stand by idly if the brothers were attacked. Edge also noticed that many of the bunnies who inhabited Snowdin were at the bar tonight as well. Though these bunnies were far from soft and cuddly. Many of them were scarred, much like any other monster in this universe, and their hostile expressions were only slightly numbed by the alcohol they had likely consumed. A few regarded Edge coldly, while others quickly looked away without making eye contact.

Edge’s attention was suddenly drawn to another group of monsters, and he scowled. The particularly loud and obnoxious fish monsters, who often visited from Waterfall, were sitting at the bar, voices booming over the thrum of the crowd. Edge had never been fond of them. More than once members of the group had made passes at either himself or his brother, something which Edge did not appreciate – especially after the fourteenth time it had happened. Mostly it irked him that they didn’t seem to fear him. He supposed they were always just too drunk or too stupid to understand a threat when they heard one. He couldn’t recall ever having seen them outside of the bar. He would have dusted them by now if it weren’t for Grillby’s silly rule. Assholes, Edge thought.

“Sooo, are we just gonna stand here, or…?”

Edge turned to see Papyrus smirking at him, hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie. Edge scowled. He was growing very tired of that smirk.

“You go sit at that empty booth,” he said, indicating one of the black-cushioned booths in the corner of the bar, “I’ll get us some drinks.” Edge walked over to the bar, the other monsters clearing a path for him without hesitation. Edge smiled slightly to himself. It had been a while since he’d visited this place; he’d missed the respect and fear his reputation commanded. When he reached the bar, Grillby strode straight over to him, before he’d even finished serving another monster. The monster glared at Edge, but didn’t make a fuss, obviously knowing who Edge was.

“The usual I assume?” Grillby asked, his voice smooth but low.

“Times four,” said Edge, and Grillby looked over his shoulder at the booth where the others were sitting.

“Nice friends you have there.”

Edge frowned.

“I don’t recall asking for your input.”

Grillby rolled his eyes.

“Relax, tough guy, I honestly don’t give a shit about your friends. Although,” he nodded in the direction of Sans and Papyrus, “probably not the best idea bringing them out in public. They look like they’re made of candyfloss.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” Edge said. “And any monster in this town smart enough to fear me knows that they’re dust if they try and hurt my… houseguests.” Edge stopped himself from saying friends, knowing that it wasn’t a common phrase in this world.

“Well, not every monster in this town is smart.” Grillby nodded towards the fish monsters sitting on the other end of the bar, and Edge glowered.

“Whatever. And are you a bartender or not? Enough chit chat.” Grillby chuckled and busied himself with retrieving Edge’s drinks. Edge took the opportunity to glance over at the booth, where Sans and Red were deep in conversation. Papyrus was glancing around the bar with that lazy smirk on his face. Edge noticed that the alcohol gave it a bit of a seductive edge. He drew his eyes away. He needed a few more drinks before he started thinking about that.

“I made yours a double.” Grillby’s voice broke Edge out of his thoughts. “You seem like you could use it.”

“Thanks,” Edge mumbled, standing up.

“I’ll put it on your brother’s tab,” Grillby said. “Tell him I said hi.”

“Tell him yourself,” Edge snapped as he walked away, and he heard Grillby chuckling behind him. When he sat down at the booth, Red looked up at him with a grimace.

“Really Boss? Bourbon? You know you’re the only one who actually likes that shit.”

“Get the drinks yourself next time then,” Edge spat out.

“Oh stars, just give me one!” Sans cried, his voice surprisingly high-pitched. Edge noticed an unusual jitteriness about him. Sans grabbed one of the drinks, and downed it almost in one go.

“Whoa there Blue, slow down,” said Red, looking at Sans in alarm.

“I’m good,” Sans said, gulping down the last of his glass, “I’m not a lightweight like Papy.”

“Hey!” Papyrus took a long drink from his own glass. “I did not come here to be judged. I’m not a lightweight, my liver just takes a little longer to process alcohol.”

Sans gave Papyrus a look of bewilderment, starry blue eye-lights flickering.

“You don’t even have a liver, Papy!”

“Huh, you’re right. Maybe that’s why I’m such a lightweight.”

“Papy!”

“Sorry bro, didn’t mean to rattle your bones.”

“Oh for goodness sake, I’m getting another drink!” Sans stood abruptly.

“Hang on,” Red quickly downed his own drink, “I’ll come with ya.” The two shorter skeletons drifted over to the bar, leaving Edge alone with Papyrus. Edge was suddenly very grateful that Grillby had made his drink a double.

 

****

 

“Hey Blue, wait up! What’s the rush?”

Red hurried after Sans, who seemed very eager to get to the bar.

“Um, no rush! I just really think I could do with another drink.” Sans didn’t slow down, weaving his way through the other patrons, Red struggling to keep up.

“Dude, you’ve already had like five, you sure it wouldn’t be a good idea to slow it down?”

“Oh, no, I’ll be fine. Honestly, I’m nothing like my brother. It takes more than a few drinks to get to me.”

Red finally caught up to Sans, and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Blue, are you sure? This isn’t just the nerves talking?”

Sans bounced apprehensively on his feet.

“N-no, I’m not nervous! Why would I be nervous? I’m completely fine!” Sans’ voice went up a couple of pitches, and Red raised his brow bone. Sans sighed. “Okay fine! Of course I’m nervous! I’ve never kissed anyone before, Red! What if I do it wrong? Or what if I don’t like it? What if they think that I’m—that I’m bad or something? Or what if—”

“Never been kissed before, huh?" said a strange voice, "I can change that.”

Sans jumped at the voice, turning around. Red recognised it immediately, and looked up with a grin.

“Aw, come on Grillbz, be nice,” he said.

Grillby regarded him with a smirk.

“I am being nice,” he said, turning to regard Sans. “Listen up… Blue, was it? Most monsters here are just looking for a hook up, so all you have to do is wait until both of you have had enough drinks and then—”

“B-but I don’t want a hook up!” Sans said, frantically. Grillby smiled.

“Well, that’s why you’ve got Red. As soon as anyone gets too handsy with you, just say the word ‘beverage’ and Red will get you out of there.” Red nodded in agreement.

“Beverage…?” said Sans, slowly, as if testing out the word.

“Yeah, bud, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. We’re gonna have a good time, just like I promised.” Red smiled at Sans, who seemed to relax slightly.

“I’d recommend starting with the bunnies,” Grillby said. “They’re usually up for anything, and are probably the least likely to kill you if something goes wrong.” Sans’ eye-lights widened, but Grillby grinned. “Don’t worry kid, we’ll look out for you.”

“Why don’t you start talking to that girl over there?” Red indicated towards a bunny dressed in a tattered green shirt, sporting an eye patch. “I’ll grab us some more drinks and meet you there.” Sans nodded, dusting off his clothes and taking a deep breath before marching over to the table.

“He’s not from around here, is he?” Grillby asked as they watched Sans go. Red knew Grillby was a lot more aware than he let on, so it didn’t surprise him that he had caught on to the fact that Sans was a bit of a foreigner. Red trusted Grillby as well, and he knew there was no point in lying to him.

“No, he’s not.”

“Hmm, didn’t think so. You’d best look out for him.”

“I will,” said Red earnestly.

“I’ll grab you those drinks and bring them over,” Grillby said. Red nodded and started walking towards where Sans had sat down in front of the bunny girl. “Oh and Red?” Grillby called, and Red turned around. “When are you gonna pay off your tab?” Grillby eyed him with a meaningful smirk, and Red rolled his eye-lights.

“Just get our damn drinks and I’ll see if I’m drunk enough later.”

Grillby laughed and winked.

“Looking forward to it, BoneGrindr69.”

Red flushed at the memory of Sans discovering his online conversation with Grillby, and hurried off to the table where Sans was sitting. He seemed to be deep in conversation with the bunny girl, eye-lights wide and sparkling.

“… and I’m not going to deceive you, Cinnamon, I was scared!” Sans was saying. “But I knew Undyne wouldn’t really hurt me, it was just training after all—Red! You’re here. Cinnamon, this is my friend Red.”

“Oh yeah, you’re Edge’s brother,” said ‘Cinnamon’. Her voice was high-pitched, as were the voices of many of the bunny residents of Snowdin, but there was a gravelly edge to it. Her white fur also bore many scars and scratches. She frowned slightly. “No offense, but your brother’s a bit of a jerk.” Red shrugged, sitting down.

“None taken. So what are you two talking about?”

“Oh I was just telling Cinnamon about my Royal Guard training!” Sans said, cheerily.

“Sounds pretty cool,” said Cinnamon, “I always found monsters from the Royal Guard pretty sexy.” She gave Sans a half-lidded smile, and he blushed a bright shade of cyan.

“Oh, look, here are the drinks!” said Red, grateful for a change of topic, as Grillby placed three glasses on their table. Wait, shouldn’t he be glad that Cinnamon was coming onto Sans? That was the point of tonight wasn't it?

“Everything okay here?” Grillby asked, giving Red a meaningful look.

“It’s great,” Red said, trying to keep his expression neutral.

“Well, let me know if you need any more beverages.” Grillby eyed Sans before turning and walking back to the bar. Red downed his drink almost immediately, and noticed Sans doing the same.

They chatted for a little while, talking about the various goings on in their town – who had the most LOVE (they all voted Edge without hesitation), who had almost been dusted for acting like an idiot, who _had_ been dusted for acting like an idiot, Sans’ Royal Guard training. Every now and then, Cinnamon would flirt with Sans, causing him to blush profusely. Red didn’t know why, but his soul would flutter slightly every time he saw that faint blue colouring on his counterpart’s cheek bones. He figured it must be his own excitement at seeing Sans having a good time. Suddenly, Red noticed Cinnamon rest her hand on Sans’ thigh, whose starry eye-lights widened. She was observing him with a lazy smile, hand slowly trailing upwards.

“Um, Red and I are just going to get more beverages!” Sans squeaked, standing up quickly. Cinnamon looked up at him in surprise, but nodded, and Sans quickly scampered off to the bar, Red jogging to catch up.

“What happened?” he asked. “Things seemed to be going well.” Sans twisted his hands in his blue bandana uncomfortably.

“Um, I don’t know, I guess I just wasn’t feeling it,” he said, voice slightly shrill. “Maybe we can just, uh, get another drink and try again?” His smile looked strained. Red shrugged.

“Whatever you want, bud, it’s your night.”

Sans seemed to relax slightly.

“Thanks Red,” he said, grinning. “You’re the best.” Without warning, he threw his arms around Red, who went stiff with surprise. He felt his soul pulse at the contact.

Just the surprise, he told himself. Just the surprise.

 

****

 

“Damn Edge, slow down, there’s no way I can keep up with you.”

Edge drained his glass, setting it down on the table when it was empty. He met Papyrus’ amused expression with a grin of his own.

“Not my fault you’re a lightweight.”

“Okay, okay, enough with the lightweight thing.” Papyrus rolled his eye-lights, but he was still smiling slightly. Edge snickered. “Okay fine, to prove to you that I am not a lightweight, I will finish this whole drink in under ten seconds.” Edge failed to contain a snort.

“Hah! Please, don’t make me laugh. You couldn’t even finish that in ten minutes.”

“Oh yeah?” Papyrus had a teasing expression. “Watch me.” Without hesitation, he tipped the glass back, gulping down the liquid rapidly. Edge counted, only reaching eight before the glass was empty. Papyrus slammed the glass down triumphantly.

“See? What did I tell ya! I’m not a fucking—lightweight.” Papyrus hiccoughed slightly, a few small drops of bourbon dripping down his chin, and Edge couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Honestly Papyrus, you’re such a mess,” he chuckled. Papyrus was about to respond, but was cut off by a slimy, drawling voice.

“But quite a hot mess, isn’t he?”

Edge felt a surge of rage in his soul before he even looked up. He knew that voice. Standing in front of their booth was a group of three fish monsters. His least favourite monsters in the bar. In fact, he disliked them so immensely that he hadn't even bothered learning their names. He scowled up at them. The one who had spoken had a smug expression planted on his face, and was leering down at Papyrus.

“Why don’t you let me buy you another one of those, babe?” He grinned, licking his lips slightly, and Edge felt a slight queasiness in his soul. But Papyrus just glanced up at the fish monster, completely unfazed, still smirking slightly.

“Listen buddy, if I wanted some asshole to buy me drinks, I’d ask Edge. At least he’s good looking.” Edge wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended, but the fish monster was most definitely the latter.

“Hey, fuck you.”

“No thanks,” said Papyrus without looking up, his tone bored. This only seemed to anger the fish further.

“Alright, listen up you little bitch. You step outside and I’ll dust you right where you—”

“I wouldn’t fucking try it,” Edge snarled. He was leaning across Papyrus defensively, a freshly materialised crimson bone attack grasped in his hand. Red magic sparked from his scarred eye socket. A sudden hush ran over the bar, and the fish monster froze, a flicker of fear in his eye.

“Whatever, not worth my time anyway,” he said eventually, backing away. “Maybe I’ll just watch you two make out instead.” He shot Edge an oily smirk before sauntering away with the rest of his group in tow. Edge scowled after them, not dissipating his magic until they were on the other side of the bar.

After a few moments of silence, Papyrus said, “You know, that guy was a twat, but he was kinda right – it would be pretty hot if we made out.” Edge forced down the blush that threatened to make its way onto his cheek bones, anger still the predominant emotion in his soul.

“You shouldn’t antagonise the monsters here,” he said, shifting back to his original position.

“Nah, I’m fine,” said Papyrus, smirking lazily. “I’ve got you looking out for me.” He eyed Edge with a half-lidded expression, and Edge cursed the slight shot of arousal that ran through his soul. He did his best to glare at Papyrus.

“I think you just love acting like an idiot,” he said, sourly.

“Heh, yeah, I looove not thinking things through.” Papyrus was slurring slightly, and he began to trail his phalanges over Edge’s arm. Edge cleared his throat.

“Where are our brothers? Weren’t they supposed to be getting drinks?” Edge could feel his soul responding to Papyrus’ gentle touches, a faint blush making its way onto his cheek bones.

“Probably off… fucking each other or something.” Papyrus leaned in close, so that his mouth was pressed right against the side of Edge’s skull. “Maybe we should do the same,” he purred, and Edge yelped slightly when he felt Papyrus’ hand move down to his crotch. He jumped up immediately, and Papyrus grinned up at him, eye-lights hazy.

“That’s it, I’m taking you home,” Edge said, tone authoritative. “I knew I should’ve stopped you from having that last drink.” Papyrus gave him a mock-sad expression, pouting slightly. Edge just rolled his eye-lights. “Stars, you’re an awful drunk, come on, let’s go.” He heaved Papyrus to his feet, guiding him by his arm until they reached the door. He glanced around quickly, seeing Sans and his brother talking at the bar. Red looked up, and Edge nodded in the direction of the exit, but Red shook his head. Edge scowled at his brother and rolled his eye-lights, deciding Red could take care of himself, and guided Papyrus outside.

Once they were standing in the snow, Papyrus turned to face him, grinning deviously. Without warning, he pushed Edge against the wall next to the door, pressing their bodies together.

“You know what?” he murmured, face inches from Edge’s. “I’m glad you brought me out here. I’ve always wanted to get fucked against a wall.”

Edge’s soul pulsed, sending a flush of burning arousal straight to his crotch.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he growled, and, unable to control the urge any longer, he pulled Papyrus closer and pressed their mouths together.

 

****

 

“Hey where are they going?” Sans asked, watching as Edge led Papyrus out the front door of the bar.

“Looks like your bro is about to pass out,” said Red. “Boss is probably just gonna take him home. God, you were not kidding when you said he was a lightweight.” Sans sighed.

“Yes, he is no fun! Four drinks into the night and he is gone! Then I have to drink by myself.” Sans pouted, sipping on his gin and tonic. Red couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling a twinge of sympathy in his soul, but still finding Sans’ expression adorable. Adorable… wait… what?

“Heh, don’t worry pal, you’ve got me this time. I’m sure I can handle my alcohol better than he can. Although…” Red eyed Sans with slight concern, “you sure you don’t want to slow down? That’s what? Drink number eight of the night?” Sans sighed.

“No, unfortunately it takes copious amounts of alcohol to affect me. Perhaps I inherited all of the tolerance my brother didn’t get.” Red smiled.

“Hey bro, let me know if you’re not feeling this anymore. We don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to.”

Sans looked up and shook his head profusely.

“No! One way or another, I will kiss someone tonight!”

They had talked to a couple more patrons after Cinnamon, but none had really seemed to pique Sans’ interest. A few had bought him drinks, only for Sans to quickly declare that he would like a different _beverage,_ giving Red a meaningful look. Red was pretty good at getting rid of overbearing drunk monsters, being a frequenter of Grillby’s himself. He was slightly disappointed though that Sans didn’t seem to be having a good time.

“Alright, then we’ll keep going!” Red declared. They spent the next half hour or so talking to various monsters around the bar. Red decided they should start with some of the gentler ones, since they seemed more Sans’ type. He introduced Sans to a couple more of the bunnies, knowing that, despite their usual hostility, most of them were friendlier when they were drunk. But every time it seemed things were going somewhere, Sans would suddenly announce that he needed a beverage, and they would have to start all over again. Red then decided that maybe the bunnies weren’t the way to go, so he started introducing Sans to some of the rougher monsters. A couple of Snowdin’s bear residents seemed to take an interest in Sans, causing Red to be the one to use their designated code word when he realised that had been a bad idea. The bears were particularly rough, and Red didn’t like the idea of them slobbering all over Sans. They spoke to a couple of the bird monsters who tended to inhabit the Snowdin forest. But after a little while, Sans seemed to grow bored. The only monster who Sans truly seemed to show an interest in was a mouse-like monster with a large scarf, who enjoyed discussing books and modern crises. But when Red made a suggestive comment about the mouse and Sans, it grew angry, telling him not to be so lewd, and stormed off. Eventually, Sans and Red retreated back to the bar, defeated.

“Well, I give up,” said Sans, sighing. “It seems I am destined to remain unkissed!” Red felt a small twinge of pity in his soul. “We must have spoken to every monster in this bar, but…” Sans hung his head, his blue eye-lights dim. Red put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, it’s not the end of the world, we can come back another night.”

“I don’t know, Red. Perhaps I am just not the type of monster other monsters like to kiss!”

A deep pang of sympathy twisted in Red’s soul.

“Sans,” he said, and the other skeleton looked up, “that isn’t true.” He paused. “You know what? I think I know something that might cheer you up.” He rose from his stool. “Follow me, I know a short cut.” He led Sans to a door near the back of the bar, taking them through a short corridor, then out into the cold snow behind the bar.

“Red, what are we—”

“Shh, just take my hand for a minute.” Red held out his hand, and Sans took a hold of it hesitantly. Red felt a slight tingle in his soul at the touch. “You ready?” Sans nodded, and Red teleported them out of the snow.


	25. Chapter 25

Edge heard Papyrus gasp as he pressed their teeth together, and he immediately conjured up his tongue and ran it over Papyrus' mouth.

“Ha… fuck, Edge…” Papyrus breathed, and Edge took the opportunity to press his tongue into Papyrus’ mouth, feeling the other skeleton’s own tongue forming. He slid his tongue over Papyrus’, the rough kiss drawing a small whine from him. Edge grasped onto the front of Papyrus’ hoodie, pulling him even closer, until he could feel the warmth of Papyrus’ soul. Papyrus reached a hand down and pressed it against Edge’s crotch, where his crimson magic was already starting to build. Edge growled, and flipped them around, pressing Papyrus against the wall, pushing their bodies as close together as he could. He continued to kiss him, their tongues intertwining. Papyrus tasted of alcohol, and also faintly sweet, like honey. Edge ran his tongue over the smooth bone inside Papyrus’ mouth, then trailed the kiss down to Papyrus’ jaw.

“Ah, Edge… stars…” Papyrus moaned as Edge grinded their hips together, still running his tongue over Papyrus’ jaw. Papyrus reached down and began to undo the buckle of Edge’s belt, and Edge immediately froze, pulling back. Papyrus whined slightly at the loss of contact.

“Not here,” said Edge, voice husky.

“Ugh fine,” Papyrus said, sighing dramatically. Then, without warning, he took a hold of Edge’s shoulders and Edge felt a brief rush around them, before they landed right in Edge’s bedroom.

“Fuck! Papyrus, you can’t just do that,” he grumbled, trying to regain his balance.

“Heh, sorry, couldn’t wait,” said Papyrus, and soon Edge felt Papyrus’ tongue running over his teeth once again, seeking entrance. Edge immediately forgot his irritation at being teleported without warning, and pulled Papyrus close to him again, trailing his hands down the other’s back. He opened his mouth, and tasted the sweetness of Papyrus’ magic, running over his own. He let Papyrus explore his mouth for a few moments, revelling in the feel of Papyrus’ warm magic against his own, the sweet taste mingling with his own slightly spicy one.

Edge then pulled back slowly, gazing at Papyrus, whose golden eye-lights were blown wide, sockets lidded, and Edge’s soul felt heavy with arousal. He reached his hand behind Papyrus’ head, and trailed his phalanges down his spine, drawing a small sigh from the other skeleton. Edge ran his tongue down the side of Papyrus’ jaw, until he reached the vertebrae of his neck. He felt one of Papyrus’ hands come to rest on the back of his skull, holding him against the sensitive discs of his neck. Edge slowly began to run his tongue over the bones, and Papyrus’ breathing became heavy. Edge experimentally trailed his sharp teeth over the bones, causing Papyrus to whine. He then bit down sharply, and Papyrus cried out.

“Oh, f-fuck, Edge…”

The sounds coming from the other skeleton sent a burning feeling through Edge’s soul, and he could feel his magic beginning to form at his crotch. He licked over the spot he’d just bit down on, eager to taste every inch of Papyrus he could. Papyrus tipped his head back, giving Edge as much access as he could. Edge trailed his tongue back up to Papyrus’ jaw, until he met the other’s mouth, gradually kissing his way inside, sighing softly as he felt his magic meet Papyrus’.

Papyrus slowly began to guide them towards the bed, not breaking the kiss. When they reached the bed, Papyrus sat down, pulling Edge down to lean over him, not wanting to lose the contact. Edge slowly pulled away, Papyrus gasping below him. He then pushed Papyrus back, so that he was lying down, moving to straddle his legs, and leaning down to kiss him once again. He pressed his hips against Papyrus’, feeling the warm amber magic underneath Papyrus’ clothes. Papyrus moaned, pulling Edge closer, the kiss becoming desperate.

“Oh stars, Edge, I need—”

“Papyrus…”

“Edge, please—”

“Papyrus, stop.” Edge had pulled away, still leaning over Papyrus, but no longer pressing their bodies together. Papyrus looked up at him in bewilderment.

“What is it?”

“We shouldn’t do this,” Edge said, voice low, “not like this.” Papyrus smirked up at him, and brought a hand down to run over Edge’s pelvic area, where his magic was emitting a ruby glow.

“I don’t know, you seem pretty eager.”

Edge silently cursed his magic for betraying him, and did his best to compose his features. He gently pushed Papyrus’ hand away.

“Papyrus, we’ve both been drinking. We’re not doing this right now.” Edge saw a flicker of disappointment in Papyrus’ features.

“Fuck, Edge, why did you have to get me all hot and bothered if you weren’t even going to bang me?”

“Sorry, I got a little… carried away. You’re pretty irresistible when you want to be, and you were teasing me all night.” Edge frowned slightly, and Papyrus grinned.

“Ha! I knew it was working. You’re a tough egg to crack, Edge.” Papyrus reached up a hand and ran it over Edge’s scarred cheek bone. “Fuck, I want you so badly right now.”

Edge did his best to ignore the burning desire Papyrus’ words created in his soul.

“Papyrus…” he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into the feel of the other skeleton’s phalanges against his cheek. Papyrus sat up, drawing their faces together slowly, and kissing Edge gently. Edge hesitantly ran his tongue against Papyrus’, breathing in the sweet scent of him. The kiss was soft, and only lasted a couple of seconds, before Edge drew away, Papyrus sighing at the break of contact, his eyes closed. “Papyrus,” Edge said again, “I want this too, very much. But I don’t want our first time to be some drunken mess that we only half remember the next morning.” Papyrus opened his eyes, half smirking up at Edge.

“You want it to be _special?”_ His grin was slightly cheeky.

“Shut up,” said Edge, blushing slightly. He lifted himself off of Papyrus and sat on the edge of the bed. “Look, I know I was harsh the other day… It’s—it’s not my place to tell you what you can and can’t do. I understand that fixing the Machine is something that must be done. I apologise for my behaviour.” Edge looked at Papyrus, who was smiling slightly.

“Yeah, I was kind of a prick too,” he said, shifting his position to sit beside Edge. “I know that you were just trying to keep me safe, and I appreciate the sentiment.” Papyrus reached a hand out, but Edge grabbed him by the wrist before he could get too close.

“Oh no, no more touching,” he said, sternly. “I know your game.” Papyrus grinned. “I need to go take a cold shower.”

“So you’re really not going to fuck me tonight?” Papyrus looked at Edge with a small smile. Edge, sighed, and shook his head. “Heh, in that case I’ll probably just lie here and masturbate,” said Papyrus, falling onto his back. “Thanks for getting me all wound up.” He yawned. “Or just go to straight to bed, man I’m tired.” Papyrus started to get up.

“Sleep here,” said Edge, and Papyrus froze.

“What?”

Edge cleared his throat.

“Uh, I mean, if you want to. You can sleep in my room tonight.” He shifted slightly on his feet, not making eye contact with Papyrus.

“You want me to sleep… in your bed?” asked Papyrus, slowly. “With you?” Edge nodded.

“If you want.”

Papyrus grinned.

“You sure you can control yourself?”

Edge rolled his eye-lights.

“Please,” he said, sarcastically. “I have to be up early tomorrow anyway. Keeping you up all night will have to wait until another time.” Papyrus’ grin widened.

“Is that a promise?”

“I’m taking a shower.” Edge skulked towards the door, Papyrus chuckling behind him.

“Feel free to think of me.”

Edge spun to glare at him.

“Do you want me to rescind your invitation?”

Papyrus held up his hands innocently.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Enjoy your shower.”

Edge nodded.

“Oh, and um, feel free to, uh…” Edge cleared his throat, “borrow some of my stuff, to sleep in. Um, if-if you like.” Edge was surprised to see Papyrus blush slightly.

“Uh, thanks.”

Edge stood stiffly at the door for a moment, before nodding and clearing his throat once again.

“Good, um... goodnight Papyrus.”

“’Night, Edge.”

Edge closed his bedroom door behind him, his soul fluttering slightly at the thought of sharing a bed with Papyrus. The idea of having him by his side, his last thought before falling asleep being of Papyrus, his smell, the way he felt in Edge's arms, the sound of his breathing - it sent a thrill through him. When he returned from his shower, Papyrus was fast asleep, curled up under Edge’s blankets. He was wearing one of Edge’s black tank tops, and Edge felt a strange jolt of protectiveness at the sight. His soul warm, he climbed into the bed with Papyrus, situating himself against the other skeleton’s back, and wrapped his arms around the other’s chest tentatively, pulling him close.

He lay like that for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, savouring the feeling of Papyrus’ chest, rising and falling, the faint sweet smell of him, the pleasant thrumming their closeness brought to Edge’s soul. He slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, comforted by the feeling of Papyrus pressed against him, and the gentle illumination of his soul.

 

****

 

Red felt his feet hit the soft grass as he and Sans arrived, and he stumbled slightly. Huh, maybe he was a little more drunk than he’d thought. He watched as Sans dusted himself off, and glanced around, taking in his surroundings. His starry eye-lights were wide and sparkling.

“I know this place,” Sans said, looking up in awe.

“You do?” Red asked in confusion. He had thought this room was secret; he’d never seen any other monsters here, and it was pretty secluded.

“Yes, yes!” Sans said, bouncing excitedly. “Papy and I used to come here all the time!”

“Oh…” Red felt his soul sink a little, a small twinge of jealousy running through him. He had wanted to show Sans something special, something that they could share.

“Thank you, Red!” Sans threw his arms around Red in a tight embrace. Red went rigid, but quickly relaxed, and brought a hand up to pat Sans on the back. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to Sans’ spontaneous hugs.

“Uh… you’re welcome…?”

Sans withdrew, a bright grin on his face.

“So, what is your wish?” Sans asked.

“My… wish?” Red gave Sans a puzzled look.

“Yes, your wish!” Sans pointed at the ceiling. “Don’t you tell your wishes to the stars?” Red stared at Sans in bewilderment.

“Stars?”

“Red, we’re in the Wishing Room, you have to make a wish!”

Red looked around. The Wishing Room? The place he’d decided to bring Sans to was a small cave-like area of Waterfall, completely secluded behind a secret wall he had discovered. The same flowers Sans had called ‘Echo Flowers’ were dotted here and there in the tall grass, and the walls of the cave were strangely smooth. But what Red liked most about the room were the twinkling crystals which illuminated the ceiling. He hadn’t told anyone else about this place before – not even his brother. Red had wanted to share it with Sans because… He paused. Why had he wanted to share it with Sans? He was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by the sound of Sans’ voice.

“Red? What is it? What’s your wish?”

Red looked up at the twinkling crystals on the ceiling, thinking. There were certainly many things he wanted, but somehow none of them seemed worthy of wishing for. Except maybe…

“Uh, I dunno. Guess I’m not really a wishing kind of guy,” he said, drawing his eyes away from the sparkling lights, a faint cherry blush on his cheeks. Wait, why was he blushing? Sans didn’t seem to notice though, only pouting.

“You can’t come to the Wishing Room and not make a wish!” he said, tone incredulous. “It’s bad luck!” Red smiled.

“Okay then, what’s _your_ wish?”

Sans seemed to ponder for a moment, gazing up at the starry lights.

“Hmm… I wish… I wish for myself and my brother to return home safely! And I wish for you and Edge to be happy... and maybe visit us sometimes." Sans blushed slightly at this. "Oh! And I wish to complete my training successfully and become a magnificent member of the Royal Guard!” Sans grinned, standing tall and placing his hands on his hips. “Now it’s your turn!” Sans put a hand on Red’s shoulder and pointed up at the crystals. “Just look at them and think about what you really want. Then the wish will come true!”

Red felt his soul pounding in his chest, suddenly very aware of how close he and Sans were standing. He could feel the warmth radiating from the other skeleton, their proximity sending a jolt of excitement through Red's soul. Sans looked at him expectantly.

“Um, well… I do have one wish…” Red murmured, hesitantly, feeling himself involuntarily leaning closer to Sans.

“What is it?”

“It’s—I, um…” Red gazed into Sans’ eye-lights, which were sparkling. Their faces were only inches apart now, and Red could feel the air from Sans’ breaths. Then, without warning, Sans pressed their teeth together in a gentle kiss. Red gasped in surprise, but quickly recovered, and brought his hands up to rest on either side of Sans’ face. He felt his magic forming in his mouth, and slowly brought his tongue to meet Sans’, gently running them along each other in the small space between their teeth. Sans suddenly pulled away.

“I-I’m sorry!” he squeaked. “I don’t know what came over me, I didn’t mean to—I shouldn’t have—I’m so sorry!” Sans looked frantic, backing away from Red slightly.

“Hey, hey, Blue, it’s okay! You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Red reached out to comfort Sans, but he only backed away more.

“N-no! I shouldn’t have done that! I just—I just k-kissed you!”

“Blue, it’s okay, I don’t mind.” Red smiled. “You made my wish come true.” Sans stopped backing away, staring at Red with wide eyes.

“Y-your wish?”

“Yeah,” Red chuckled softly. “I wished to the stars that you’d kiss me… and you did. So, uh, thanks.”

“Oh, um… you’re welcome.” Sans shifted nervously, staring at the ground.

“So, uh, looks like you got your first kiss after all,” Red said, trying to lighten the mood. Sans looked up, eyes wide.

“Oh, yes… yes I did!” Sans looked uncomfortable for a couple of seconds, before a mischievous grin suddenly made its way onto his face. “But… you said that if I didn’t have my first kiss when we went to Grillby’s then I would get your cell phone! And we’re not at Grillby’s!” Sans looked triumphant. “I won the bet!” Red felt flustered all of a sudden.

“Hey, no way! You—you still got your first kiss! You can’t do that, that—that’s cheating!”

Sans’ smile was wicked.

“I play to win - fair or not! Now give me your phone!” Red scowled and retrieved the device from his pocket, handing it over to Sans, who clapped excitedly. “Finally! My own cell phone. Papy and I always used to share one.” Red frowned.

“Then… how did you call each other?”

Sans paused, considering.

“That is a good point. I suppose I did not need to call him to know that he was napping at one of his many stations!”

Red yawned.

“Man, all this talk of naps is making me sleepy, wanna head back?”

Sans glanced up at the stars again, a faint blue tinge on his cheeks.

“Um… actually, I have one more wish before we go…” he trailed off, looking embarrassed.

“Yeah, what is it, bud?”

Sans looked up at Red, eye-lights sparkling, and his blush deepened.

“Could you, um, maybe… k-kiss me again?” He looked away quickly. Red felt his own cheek bones warming slightly. He approached Sans slowly, reaching out to take Sans’ hand in his own. He brushed his other hand over the side of Sans’ face, then pulled him close, pressing their mouths together gently.

Sans closed his eyes, and leaned into Red, who felt Sans’ cyan tongue pressing against his teeth. He conjured up his red magic, guiding Sans’ tongue into his mouth, and letting his blue magic explore for a few moments. Sans broke away first, slowly pulling back, eye-lights meeting Red’s.

“Th-thank you,” said Sans, quietly. Red smiled.

“Anytime, Sans.” Sans blushed again, and Red took hold of his other hand. “Ready?” Sans nodded, and Red teleported them directly into the living room. He walked Sans up the stairs and into his own bedroom at the end of the corridor. Once Sans was settled into the bed, Red stood at the doorway.

“’Night, Blue.”

“Goodnight, Red.”

Red began to close the door.

“Red?”

“Yeah?”

“I-I had a good night. Thank you.”

Red smiled, a faint red tinge on his cheek bones.

“Anytime, pal. Sleep well.” Red closed the door, and turned just in time to see his brother emerging from the bathroom. “’Sup Boss.” Edge jumped slightly, then relaxed when he saw Red standing in the corridor.

“Oh, hello brother,” he said. Red noticed a strange undertone to his voice. “I assume the little Blueberry is in bed?” Red nodded.

“Yeah, he is. Where’s Stretch?” Red had noticed that his brother’s lazier self had not been in his usual sleeping spot in his room. Edge blushed slightly.

“Oh, he’s um… sleeping with me tonight.” Edge looked away, seeming flustered.

“Oh _really?”_ Red smirked, and Edge rolled his eye-lights.

“Oh, nothing like that! Don’t be so lewd, brother. He was simply tired, so I allowed him to sleep in my room.”

“Oh? Because it would have been _so_ difficult for him to walk twenty paces to where he usually sleeps.” Red grinned, brow bone raised, and Edge scowled.

“It wasn’t—oh forget it, I do not have to put up with your incessant pestering. I’m going to bed.”

Red chuckled as his brother walked away.

“’Night, Boss.”

After cleaning himself up a bit, Red took his regular spot on the couch, lying back and thinking over the night he’d had. He’d kissed Sans. No, Sans had kissed him! His soul stuttered slightly, a warm feeling passing over him. It hadn’t been like any kiss he’d ever had before. It had been soft, gentle, almost kind. He had felt the compassion radiating from Sans’ soul, the delicate way their tongues had slid together.

Gradually, Red drifted off to sleep, his soul light in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know everyone saw that Cherryberry kiss coming! But I'm a sucker for cute shit.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed!


	26. Chapter 26

Papyrus awoke to the feeling of a strong pair of arms wrapped around him. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realised where he was, and the memories of the previous night started flowing back. A warm feeling settled in his soul, and he snuggled closer to Edge.

“Mmm, you’re awake.” Edge’s gravelly voice came from behind him. He felt Edge press his head against his shoulder, breathing in. “I thought you’d be asleep forever.”

“Weren’t you supposed to be leaving early today?” Papyrus asked, leaning back into Edge.

“It’s not dawn yet,” said Edge.

“Really? Damn, I’d better go back to sleep then.”

“Or you could stay awake and we could savour the few minutes I have left before I have to go.” Edge ran his phalanges down Papyrus’ cheek bone, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. Papyrus felt Edge cup the side of his face with his hand, turning his head so that their faces were inches apart. He then slowly pressed their mouths together, just holding them like that for a few seconds. Papyrus gradually conjured his tongue, gently pushing it against Edge’s sharp teeth, until he felt Edge’s own tongue meeting his. They kissed each other softly, Papyrus sighing, and Edge trailed his hand over the side of Papyrus’ face. After a few short moments, Edge broke the kiss, and rested his forehead against Papyrus’. Papyrus let his eyes fall closed, just breathing in the sharp scent of Edge, feeling the soft glow of his soul against his chest.

“Man,” Papyrus whispered, “I cannot wait for you to bone me.”

He heard Edge sigh in exasperation, shoving him away slightly, and Papyrus chuckled.

“You always find a way to ruin the moment,” Edge said, sourly. Papyrus opened his eyes to see Edge scowling at him, but there was a small flicker of a smile on his features. Papyrus gripped onto the front of Edge’s shirt, pulling him close again.

“Nah, nothing could ruin this moment,” he murmured. “It’s a combination of two of my favourite things – lying in bed… and kissing you.” He brought their mouths together once more, sliding his tongue slowly into Edge’s mouth, enjoying the feeling of their magic swirling together. He felt his soul responding to Edge, glowing pleasantly in his chest. Edge gradually broke the kiss, staring into Papyrus’ eyes for a couple of seconds, before reaching down to lift the hem of his shirt. He traced his phalanges over Papyrus’ ribs, pausing when he reached the faint red scar that had been left by Papyrus’ old wound.

“Papyrus… do you remember when I healed you?”

Papyrus grinned.

“How could I forget such an erotic experience?”

Edge frowned.

“Why do you have to make everything about sex?”

“Sorry, there’s just this guy who keeps teasing me and then not actually finishing the job.”

Edge flushed slightly, but smirked.

“All in good time, Papyrus. But anyway, what I was trying to say was… when I healed you for the first time, I could feel your soul against mine, it was—”

“Beautiful?” Papyrus smiled as Edge’s eye sockets widened. “Yeah, you told me when you were drunk.”

“I did? Well, that’s slightly embarrassing.” Edge paused for a moment. “Well, it was the truth.” He continued to caress Papyrus’ ribs, his hand stilling when it reached the centre, where the faint orange glow from Papyrus’ soul could be seen. “You’ve probably noticed already, but there are very few monsters in this world with souls like yours. Most are just… corrupt.” Edge suddenly withdrew his hand, glancing away from Papyrus, a distant look in his eye. Papyrus placed a hand on his cheek, turning Edge to face him once again. He trailed a finger over the scar running down from his eye socket.

“How did you get this?” he asked, curiously. Edge went still, his expression unreadable.

“I… I’m not actually sure,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Papyrus asked, puzzled.

“I mean… I don’t remember getting it. It’s just sort of… always been there. For as long as I can remember. But I have no memory of it.” Papyrus frowned, and Edge looked a little uncomfortable suddenly. “So, where did you get yours?” he asked, indicating Papyrus’ ribs. “You never told me.” Now it was Papyrus’ turn to feel uneasy.

“Um, I don’t actually know. It just reappeared when we arrived here…”

“ _Reappeared?”_ Edge’s eye sockets widened. Papyrus cursed himself inwardly, realising his slip.

“Did I say reappeared? No, I just meant appeared. It appeared when we got here. Don’t know why.” Papyrus shifted nervously, and Edge frowned.

“Papyrus.” Edge’s voice was low. “You know how I feel about secrets.”

“Edge, please, I really can’t—”

“Do you really think you’ll be worse off by telling me? I can help you, Papyrus.” Despite his rough, gravelly voice, Edge’s tone was gentle. He reached out a hand and gently lay it on Papyrus’ arm. “You can trust me.” Papyrus felt his soul ache. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to tell Edge all about the human, the resets, the reason he had left his universe – about the human’s threat… He wanted to unburden himself, let out all the secrets and troubles he’d been holding in. He wanted to bare his soul to Edge, explain everything, have Edge hold him close, and tell him it was alright. He wanted someone to tell him that everything would be okay, that he and his brother would be safe. He wanted to trust Edge.

But he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t trust anyone with this. Not Edge – not even Red, who already knew all about the human and the resets. No, this was much darker than resets. This was something he needed to keep to himself – to protect Sans. He suddenly felt himself shaking slightly, his soul dim with despair. He had briefly forgotten his fears and anxieties involving his and his brother’s escape from their own universe – distracted by his desperation to fix the Machine, and his feelings for Edge. His soul suddenly felt cold, and his breaths became short gasps. Tears began to brim at his sockets, and he clenched his teeth to stop himself from sobbing.

“E-Edge, I—”

“Papyrus? What is it?”

Papyrus felt his chest contract, struggling to draw in breath. He felt like a tight pressure was squeezing on his soul, constricting him. His hands began to shake, and he couldn’t hold in the painful sobs that seemed to shake through his entire body.

“I c-can’t…” He tried to speak, but he couldn’t breathe. “I—I can’t—”

Edge pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Papyrus, holding him tightly against his chest. Papyrus could feel the gentle pulse of Edge’s soul through his shirt, contrasting against his own soul, which felt like it might explode.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Papyrus, it’s alright. I’m here, I’ve got you. You’re safe.” Edge ran his hands down Papyrus’ spine soothingly. “You don’t have to tell me, okay? You don’t have to talk about it.” Papyrus shook in Edge’s arms. He hated feeling like this, like he wasn’t in control. He hated for people to see him like this. He hated the way his emotions suddenly just came crashing down on him, like a floodgate had been opened, and he couldn’t stop them, couldn’t hide them. He pressed his face against Edge’s chest, feeling the warmth of his soul through the thin material of his shirt. After a few minutes his breathing slowly became less laboured, and his short gasps were replaced by soft whimpers, unable to control the tears any longer.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” he sobbed, his voice muffled by Edge’s shirt. Edge hushed him, caressing the back of his skull.

“Shh, it’s okay, Papyrus, it’s okay. You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re safe, alright? I’m right here, you’re safe.” Papyrus shook his head, trembling.

“N-no… you don’t understand. I can’t protect him… I can’t…”

“Who? You mean…” Edge’s voice became quiet. “You mean Sans.” Papyrus nodded, the tears still trailing down his cheek bones.

“I-I can’t—I’ve never been able to—he’ll never be safe, n-no matter what I do, he’s never—”

Edge held Papyrus by his arms, bringing him up and looking him the eye. His crimson eye-lights were intense.

“Listen to me, Papyrus, we’re not going to let anything happen to your brother, do you understand? We’re not going to let anyone hurt him, we’re going to keep him safe – we’re going to keep both of you safe.” Papyrus shook his head.

“Y-you don’t understand. You c-can’t protect him, no one can. He’ll—he’ll be…” Papyrus broke off, sobbing.

“What is it, Papyrus?” Edge looked at him earnestly, eye-lights intense. “Why can’t we protect him?”

“H-how can you protect him, in a w-world like this? I-if he isn’t killed then… then he’ll just end up killing someone else… he’ll—his soul…” Papyrus couldn’t continue, choking on his words as fresh tears spilled from his eye sockets. Edge’s eye sockets widened.

“You’re worried that Sans will… kill someone?” Edge seemed taken aback. “Papyrus, Sans would never…”

“You don’t know that!” Papyrus cried. “You don’t know what could happen. What if… what if he’s… forced into it… or what if… his life is in danger… or…” Edge held Papyrus firmly, fixing his gaze.

“We won’t let that happen.” His voice was resolute. “We won’t let any harm come to your brother – and we won’t let it come to that. I promise you, Papyrus.” Edge pulled him to his chest once again, their proximity resonating in Papyrus’ soul. He buried his head in Edge’s chest, and let himself cry. He wanted so badly to believe Edge, to feel safe. He wanted, more than anything, to trust that Edge and Red could protect Sans. It would be so much easier to deny the fact that Sans would never be safe, that no one could protect him. Not from this. After what felt like an eternity of crying, Papyrus slowly drifted off into an uneasy sleep, tear stains streaked across his cheek bones, still wrapped tightly in Edge’s arms.


	27. Chapter 27

“You’re late, Edge.”

“Apologies, Captain. I was held up.”

Edge was standing outside the doorway of Undyne’s house, dressed in full armour, ready for the day’s task. It was only just getting light, but Edge was still almost an hour late. He hadn’t been able to leave Papyrus alone with the state he’d been in this morning.

“It’s very unlike you,” said Undyne, observing Edge, “is something wrong?”

“No, everything is fine.” Edge wasn’t about to tell Undyne that he’d been helping his other self through a panic attack about Sans gaining LOVE. Especially considering Undyne was training Sans. Undyne narrowed her good eye.

“Whatever, punk, just don’t let it happen again.” Edge nodded. “Let’s get inside, we need to plan our strategy for today.” Edge followed Undyne into her house, which was just as messy as it had been the previous day – if not more so. Undyne looked tired, as if she had not slept much. Edge had noticed that she’d been a lot less energetic recently, seeming constantly worn down. He supposed it was because of this case; it was taking its toll on him too. “So, first thing’s first,” Undyne said, as they took their seats on the couch, “we’ve gotta find one of these monsters before we can catch it. Obviously the central part of the Core is the best place to start, but…”

“But what?” Edge asked, narrowing his eye sockets. Undyne sighed.

“But MTT is getting all iffy about letting us hunt in the Core again. He says every time we go there it’s ‘bad for business’ and doesn’t like the idea of having us running around bearing our weapons.” Undyne scowled in irritation. “Fuck, that guy pisses me off.” Edge frowned. He knew Mettaton well – in fact, they’d dated in the past. Well, ‘dated’ was probably a generous word – they’d really just hooked up a few times. He knew Mettaton harboured a deep hatred for Alphys, since she’d forced him into his robotic form. That was probably why he was reluctant to help Undyne in any way. Edge couldn’t really blame him for being petty – he couldn’t deny that he’d probably feel the same way, and he wasn't awfully fond of Alphys either.

“I can convince him,” he said. Undyne smirked.

“What? With your charms?”

Edge glared at her.

“Maybe,” he snapped. “At least he’ll actually listen to me. Don’t pretend there’s any love lost between you and him. And he practically loathes Doctor Alphys.” Undyne sighed.

“Fine, fine, I guess you’re right. Just don’t screw it up! I don’t need him to become any more of a pain in my ass than he already is.”

Edge nodded.

“I can handle him. So once we’ve sorted that out, what’s next? How exactly do we find these corrupted monsters? I assume it’s pretty much the same as it’s always been?”

Undyne nodded.

“Yeah, usually just in the less inhabited areas, like they’ve always been. They pretty much just pounce on passers-by when they get the opportunity.”

“Anything else?”

“Well, you’ve seen them,” Undyne said. “So far, they’ve been pretty easy to identify. But, it's like I told you yesterday. Recently they've been a lot more…” Undyne looked troubled, and Edge frowned.

“A lot more dark?” Edge asked. "That's what you told me yesterday."

“Yes," said Undyne, nodding somberly. "But there's something else as well. A few of the most recent ones I’ve dusted have looked a lot more, well… normal. Just like regular monsters, only, their souls are... dark. And that feeling… that darkness surrounding them, well sometimes you can see it in their eyes… a sort of savage look.” Undyne shuddered, sending a jolt of worry through Edge’s soul. It took a lot to scare the Royal Guard Captain.

“Well that’s awfully disconcerting,” said Edge. “Do you think they’re becoming more... I don't know, advanced?” Undyne shrugged.

“Possibly? I dunno Edge, honestly, they’re just starting to give me the creeps. The sooner we catch one the better. Then we can let Alphys deal with all the weird shit that’s going on with them. She’s a lot less freaked out by that kind of stuff.” Edge cringed inwardly. He knew very well that this sort of thing didn’t bother the Royal Scientist, but that was what concerned him.

“Okay,” said Edge, eager to change the topic, “so we know how to find and identify these creatures but we’re still missing one crucial part of the plan – how do we get it to the King’s basement once we’ve captured it? And how, in fact, do we even capture one of these things without being ripped to shreds?” To Edge’s surprise, Undyne grinned.

“Actually, that’s the one part we’ve got figured out. Alphys designed this neat serum… hang on.” Undyne rose from her seat on the sofa, and retrieved a small case from the kitchen table. She sat back down and turned the dial on the case, unlocking it. Inside lay a series of syringes, containing a strange, almost luminescent, blue liquid. Undyne lifted one of the syringes, and held it at eye level. “This stuff is called _nescium,_ Alphys came up with it herself. It’s a very powerful tranquiliser, so even just a small dose will probably knock a monster out for at least a few hours. That’s plenty of time to get that thing from the Core to the cell in the basement of the castle.” Edge nodded.

“Well, that is rather a useful tool, let’s hope it works.” Part of him didn’t like the idea of such a chemical existing – especially when it was in the hands of someone like Alphys. He knew her morals were rather blurred. Undyne retrieved another syringe from the case, and placed it in her satchel, along with the other one.

“We’ll each carry one,” she said. “Honestly, I’m not too sure how these things are supposed to be administered, but I’m just gonna go straight for the neck – that’s what they do in anime!”

Edge wanted to point out that going off anime probably wasn’t the best idea when it came to such a potent drug, and such a life-or-death situtation – but he thought better of it. Undyne could get quite aggressive when it came to defending her anime obsession.

“Right, well if that’s everything, let’s not waste any more time,” said Edge, standing up.

“Oh Edge, there’s one other thing,” said Undyne, also standing so that she could meet Edge’s eye. “Alphys wanted to apologise for the way she acted yesterday… when she asked about your, uh… about Stretch.” Edge raised his brow bone.

“Apologise?”

“Yeah,” Undyne said, looking slightly awkward. “She said she didn’t mean to get so insistent about, uh… running tests on him.” Edge frowned, suspicion creeping into his soul.

“She seemed very reluctant to let the issue drop yesterday, what changed her mind?”

“I dunno,” said Undyne, shrugging. “She just said that she didn’t need him anymore, and asked me to apologise on her behalf. Why?”

“It just seems rather suspicious of her to have such a drastic change of heart so suddenly.”

Undyne rolled her good eye.

“For fuck’s sake, man, just accept the damn apology! Ngah, whatever, let’s get going. We’ve already wasted enough time.”

Edge followed Undyne out the front door, still feeling wary of Alphys’ intentions. Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Alphys was hiding something.

 

****

 

“Ugh, here we are. This is where you do the talking, punk. Politics aren’t really my thing.”

Edge and Undyne stood before the doors of the MTT Resort, and Undyne was scowling. Graffiti covered the walls of the tall building, and one of the windows was smashed. This was one of the most popular hotels in the Underground – but that also meant it attracted all kinds of riff raff. Edge personally chose not to frequent it. He wasn’t a huge fan of dingy, overpriced rooms and stuck up hotel staff.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Edge said, pushing open the obnoxiously large golden doors. Undyne followed him inside, and they both marched up to the front desk, where a gruesome looking red monster was sitting. She was flipping through a book, a bored look on her face. When Edge and Undyne approached, she glanced up for a moment, then rolled her eyes and returned to her book. Undyne cleared her throat.

“Ngah! Excuse me, we’re here to—”

“Sorry, we’re completely full for the night,” said the receptionist, not looking up. Edge saw a flicker of annoyance in Undyne’s eye.

“Uh, no. Actually we’re here to see—”

“If you have an appointment, then you’ll have to wait. All of our staff are busy.” The bored looking monster still didn’t look up, and began busying herself with something on her cell phone.

“Really?” Edge asked, dubiously. “Every single member of your staff is busy?” The monster looked up, bemused.

“Yup. Every single one.”

Edge glared at her, and opened his mouth to retort, but Undyne interrupted him.

“Well, we need to speak with Mettaton,” she explained, and Edge could tell she was struggling to keep her voice level. “We have urgent business in the Core.”

“Well, that’s tough luck. Mettaton is very busy, and no one goes through to the Core without his say so.”

Edge could see Undyne’s patience faltering.

“ _Listen_ , our business is very important. It involves the safety of _all_ the monsters living here. If you don’t let us see Mettaton, a shit ton of monsters are gonna get dusted! Who cares about some dumb meetings? This is life or death!”

The receptionist barely flinched.

“Like I said, tough luck.”

Edge could practically feel the moment Undyne snapped.

“ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP YOU LITTLE PUNK! IF YOU DON’T COOPERATE, I’M GONNA—”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my _favourite_ skeleton,” came a smooth, drawling voice. Edge and Undyne turned to see Mettaton himself, standing near the doorway at the opposite end of the lobby. He was leaning against the frame of the door, all four of his arms crossed over his chest. His black hair hung over his eyes, and he was smirking, revealing a small set of sharp canines. “What brings you to my hotel?”

“Mettaton,” said Edge, observing his former lover, “we need to speak to you. It’s rather urgent.”

“Oh, do you?” Mettaton’s yellow eyes flickered distastefully to Undyne. “Hm, well, since you’re looking particularly _delicious_ today, Edge, I suppose I can spare you several minutes of my time. Come with me.” He indicated for them to follow him, turning to walk through the door from which he’d just emerged. Undyne and Edge exchanged a look, before following.

Mettaton led them down a long, dingy corridor, a series of doors either side of it. There were scratch marks on some of the doors, and Edge heard some rather unpleasant sounds coming from behind a few of them. A rough looking monster bearing some very fresh looking scars exited one of the rooms, and regarded Edge with a cold expression. Edge glared back, and continued to walk, eager to get out of this place. It wasn’t that the hostile environment bothered him – he had been here plenty of times, and was accustomed to violence in his everyday life. But he’d never been fond of the uncleanliness of the place. It brought it to a whole new level of unpleasantness.

When they finally reached the end of the corridor, Mettaton led them up a flight of stairs, and through several doors, many of which required passcodes.

“Well, this is secure,” Edge commented. Mettaton turned to smile at him.

“I assume our topic of conversation will require a bit of security.” Mettaton finally led them into a room where he indicated for them to take a seat. The room was simple, a single sofa against the wall, and a water cooler in the corner next to a desk. It was the cleanest room Edge had seen in this building so far, something for which he was grateful. “So, I take it this has to do with what has been going on in the Core?” Mettaton asked, as they all sat down on the sofa.

“It does,” said Edge.

“And you want my permission to travel to the Core again?”

Edge nodded.

“If you would be so kind.”

Mettaton smirked.

“You haven’t lost your charm, Edge. I assume that’s why you brought him here?” Mettaton turned to Undyne, his expression turning slightly less friendly. “To convince me?”

“Edge is one of my best fighters,” Undyne said, coolly, “but yes, that is partially the reason. You have been known to think with your dick instead of your head.” Edge shot Undyne a sharp look, but to his surprise, Mettaton laughed.

“Ha, well, I suppose that is true. I have always had a soft spot for the dangerous ones.” He winked at Edge, who tried his best not to glare in response. “Very well, I suppose your mission is rather important. I will let you through.”

“We appreciate it,” said Undyne, tersely.

“But, I do have one condition,” said Mettaton, a wily smile playing onto his features. “Edge, I would like you to have dinner with me – for old time’s sake.” Edge’s eye sockets widened.

“You—what?”

Mettaton smirked.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t missed our old catch ups? I know I have.” Edge saw Undyne pulling a face out of the corner of his eye. “It’s only a harmless dinner… well, relatively harmless. You know how handsy I can get.” Mettaton smirked, flexing all four of his hands at once.

“I—I don’t think…”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Edge!” Undyne snapped, exasperated. “Just have the bloody dinner with him. It’s a small price to pay. You can just get smashed and forget about it in the morning.” Mettaton shot Undyne a glare, but she just rolled her good eye at him.

“Mettaton, I… I’m flattered but…” Edge’s mind drifted to Papyrus. Somehow, even just a harmless dinner with Mettaton seemed like a betrayal.

“Oh, I see what the problem is,” said Mettaton. “I know that look. You’re seeing someone else aren’t you?” Edge looked up at him in shock, and Mettaton chuckled. Out of the corner of his eye, Edge saw Undyne giving him a strange look. “So I thought," Mettaton continued. "Though I must say, they must be very good in bed if you decided to turn me down. Very well, I will not force you to dine with me. But I still want something in return for letting you into the Core.” He turned to face Undyne. “I am aware of Alphys’ many… experiments.” Undyne narrowed her good eye, which glinted slightly.

“What about them?” she asked, coldly.

“I have never been a fan of them,” said Mettaton, bitterly, “but some may be useful to me. I hear she has developed a new serum… nescium, was it?” Undyne looked at him sharply.

“How did you hear about that!” she hissed. "She only finished designing it yesterday!" Mettaton waved her off.

“Please, I have ears everywhere. You don’t get to be a star without being informed on the goings on in your audience’s lives. Anyway, I would like a few samples of this serum. It may be of use to me when it comes to handling some of my more… difficult customers.” Undyne glared at him.

“You know Alphys didn’t create it to be used on rowdy hotel guests.”

“I don’t care what she invented it for,” said Mettaton, dryly. “I would like at least ten samples – otherwise you’re not getting to the Core.” Undyne sighed in exasperation, conceding.

“Fine, fine! I’ll get you the bloody samples, you prick!”

Mettaton smiled triumphantly.

“Excellent. Now, before I let you through, I need to ask you both a few questions.”

“Ugh, what is it now! Are you just trying to waste more of our time?” Undyne’s teeth were gritted, and Edge could tell she was almost out of patience.

“It’s about the corrupted monsters,” said Mettaton, his tone serious. “I need to know… how much of a threat do you think they pose?” An uneasy tension suddenly seemed to fill the room.

“If we can kill them all before they get too far, then none,” said Edge.

“You have been killing them, haven’t you?” Mettaton said. “But they keep coming back. And from what I’ve heard, they’re getting more dangerous too.”

“We’re working on it,” said Undyne, her voice suddenly strained.

“Well maybe you should work harder,” said Mettaton. “More and more monsters disappear every day. Some of them were… friends of mine.” Edge saw a pained expression cross Mettaton’s face, but he quickly recomposed himself. “Also, it’s terrible for business. Do you think people want to come to a hotel right next door to the killing ground of a bunch of rabid monsters?” Despite Mettaton’s façade, Edge could tell that he was genuinely worried. He was scared, Edge realised. It was strange, he always seemed so put-together, his television personality seldom wavering. But right now, Edge could see a sort of vulnerability to him, a slight insecurity.

Edge suddenly realised something else. Mettaton had asked Undyne to get him samples of nescium. But maybe they weren’t for his hotel guests, as he’d claimed. Maybe they were to protect himself. Edge placed a reassuring hand on one of Mettaton’s arms.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

Mettaton regarded him with a slight smirk, but Edge could see an underlying flicker of gratitude in his expression.

“Good. And the sooner the better.”

“Well, if that’s all…” Undyne began.

“Oh wait, there is one other thing, before I forget.” Mettaton stood up and walked over to the desk, extracting a folder from one of the drawers. “These are just photos of… some of the most recent disappearances.” He handed it to Undyne, who took it, a somber expression on her face. She flipped through some of the pictures.

“This is more than we have in our reports,” she said. Mettaton nodded.

“Two more went missing last night. And another one this morning.”

Undyne’s face fell.

“Ugh, I can’t wait to get to the bottom of this. Whoever’s doing this is gonna pay.”

“Let’s not waste any more time then,” said Edge, standing up. Undyne nodded, slipping the folder into the satchel containing the two syringes of nescium. Mettaton led them back down to the lobby, where the bored receptionist was still sitting, her attention now on her computer screen. She looked up as they passed, and both Undyne and Edge shot her a menacing glare.

Mettaton led them through the large doors at the end of lobby labelled ‘Core’, typing in an elaborate code to open them. He then took them across the bridge stretching towards the large metal structure, known as the Core. Once they were inside the small, dimly lit room, Mettaton stopped, standing in front of the polished elevator doors.

“Well, this is where I leave you,” he said. “Unfortunately, you can’t take the elevator anymore, we shut it down the other day to make it more difficult for monsters to get down here.” His expression was grim.

“Thank you, Mettaton,” Edge said.

“I’ll return the thanks once those monsters are dusted,” said Mettaton, wistfully. He turned and began to walk towards the door. When he reached it Edge called out after him.

“Mettaton?” Mettaton turned, raising an eyebrow. “Take care of yourself.” Mettaton gave a wry smile.

“I’ll do my best.”

And with that, he disappeared through the door, leaving Edge and Undyne standing alone at the entrance to the Core.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy, it's everyone's favourite robot!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'm going to try and post the other one later today ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ


	28. Chapter 28

“Well, no point standing around,” said Undyne, “let’s get moving.”

She and Edge went through the set of doors located at the far end of the small room, following the series of passages, which were eerily illuminated by red lamps, until they reached a long, clear glass bridge, which stretched over what looked like an endless abyss. Edge noticed that the lasers which usually guarded the area had been deactivated. He wondered if it had been Mettaton’s doing, or something a little less friendly.

“Okay, I think it’s time we get our weapons out,” said Undyne, and she retrieved the two nescium filled syringes from her satchel. “Be on your guard.” Edge held the syringe in one hand, and readied a sharpened crimson bone attack in the other. Undyne did the same, her hand grasped firmly around a long spear of red magic. They crossed the glass bridge, and entered a room with two exits. Edge noticed that it was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the Core’s power system. The Core had very few inhabitants, and the monsters that did live here were either very reclusive, or just spent most of their time at the MTT resort. Many of them were only here as a result of overcrowding in the Capital, or just to get away from the crowds of hostile monsters. How ironic that the most dangerous monsters were here now, Edge thought dryly.

“Let’s check the one on the left first,” said Undyne, and they cautiously entered the room, attacks ready. It was dark inside; the only objects visible were four small pricks of red and yellow light… only—

“Undyne!” Edge yelled, as two monsters leapt out of the darkness, their eyes glowing. Undyne brought up her spear just on time, blocking an attack from the first monster, which had a cat-like appearance, and sending it flying across the room. It hit the wall and fell to the ground, but immediately jumped back onto its feet, hissing. The second monster looked more reptilian, its sharp teeth jagged, and its yellow hair hanging over its face. It was hanging back, stalking around Edge and Undyne, as if waiting to pounce. Edge could already feel the shadow surrounding these two monsters – they were definitely corrupted. Even in the darkness, a strange black void seemed to emanate from the monsters, creating a sickening aura. Edge held his sharpened bone in front of him defensively, syringe ready in his other hand. Undyne had already conjured up another spear, and was pointing it at the circling reptile monster.

“Like, do you see this, Catty?" the prowling monster asked, a malicious grin on its face.

"Yeah, Bratty, we, like, totally have guests,” said the other monster. Edge froze for a moment. That was the first time he’d ever heard any of the corrupted monsters speak. Before, the only vocalising they’d done were the growls and hisses they made as they tried to kill, mindlessly. These monsters' voices had a strange quality to them. They seemed to echo, sounding distant and detached. There was also another thing about these monsters that wasn’t like the others Edge had encountered. They seemed… in control, almost as if they understood what they were doing. And Edge realised something else too – these monsters were communicating with each other, working together. So far he’d never seen one of these depraved creatures with enough self-control to possibly work alongside another with a corrupted soul. “And, like, do you know what my favourite part about guests is, Bratty?” 'Catty' asked.

“Like, what is it Catty?”

“I _love,_ like, watching their souls shatter and seeing their dust scatter through the air. It’s like, my favourite thing.” The monster grinned wickedly. “You two are like, totally just on time, it’s been, like, days since I last killed.”

"Yeah, like, days," said Bratty. Catty grinned, and gave a flick of her clawed hand, sending a wave of black and red magic towards Undyne, who barely managed to dart out of the way on time. Unfortunately, the other monster, Bratty, had also sent a sharp magical attack flying in Undyne’s direction, and she didn’t have time to react before she was thrown across the room, landing on her back.

Edge brought up a defensive wall of crimson bones, blocking the next flurry of magical attacks sent in his and Undyne’s direction, and giving her time to leap to her feet. Using Edge’s wall as cover, she ran towards the two monsters, spear in hand. Sensing her plan, Edge gathered his strength and pushed the wall of bones in the direction of the two monsters, forcing them to back against the wall of the room. Just as Undyne reached them, Edge shattered the wall he’d created, the magical debris stunning the two monsters for just a few seconds. But it was enough. Undyne leapt forward, and drove her spear right through the chest of the reptilian creature, Bratty. Bratty gave a strangled cry, before her dark soul trembled and fragmentised, her body turning to dust.

“Fortunately, we only need one of you alive,” Undyne said, grinning viciously at the other monster. Catty hissed, her yellow eyes blazing, and darted towards the exit, dodging between the series of bone attacks Edge sent after her. “Come on!” Undyne called to Edge, chasing after the monster. She and Edge sprinted from the room, seeing a flash of dusty purple fur disappearing at the far exit. They chased Catty across a long bridge, and she managed to evade the series of magical attacks they sent after her. It was more difficult to place their attacks when they weren’t going for the kill. When they reached the end of the bridge they came to a crossroads, with three possible paths. Catty was nowhere in sight. “Damn it!” Undyne swore. “We had it! Okay, you take the path on the right, I’ll go up. If we don’t find anything, we’ll double back and check the other route.” Edge nodded and they both raced down their respective pathways.

Edge ran, crossing a small bridge which led over the hot molten liquid which powered the Core. The path led him upwards, and he began to slow when he reached a longer bridge, boiling white liquid flowing beneath it. Syringe in one hand, jagged bone attack in the other, Edge proceeded cautiously across the bridge, eye-lights darting left and right for any sign of disturbance. When he was about half way across, he heard a scuffling noise behind him. He turned quickly, ready to send his attack hurtling towards the noise. But there was nothing there. Frowning, he turned back around, and barely had time to react as a blast of red and black magic came flying his way. He threw up a defensive wall of bones, but it wasn’t as strong as usual, given his limited reaction time, and Catty’s magic sent cracks through the wall, shattering it. Edge stumbled slightly as a small blast of her magic hit him. But he regained his balance quickly, and, seeing that Catty was only a few feet away from him, he called upon his magic to turn her soul blue.

But nothing happened.

“Not to be like, a buzzkill, but those moves totally don’t work on me,” said Catty, shrugging slightly, before she pounced on Edge, pinning him to the ground. He reached for his syringe, which had fallen from his grasp just behind his head, but Catty got there first, smashing it beneath a clawed fist. “Like, I dunno, but it seems like you’re all out of tricks,” she said, grinning, and conjuring up a ball of swirling black and red magic in her fist.

“I’m not.” Undyne’s voice came from behind Catty, and Edge saw a blue syringe being plunged into the corrupted monster’s neck. She yelped in surprise, toppling off Edge and onto the ground.

“Nice work,” Edge said, lifting himself off the floor, and dusting his armour off.

“Ngah, please, you could’ve handled it,” Undyne said, waving him off. “That hit wouldn’t even have killed you, it was just being dramatic.” Undyne nodded towards the unconscious monster on the floor. Edge smirked.

“So were you, sneaking up behind her like that. Were you re-enacting some anime or something?”

Undyne grunted, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. They both looked down to observe the monster on the floor. Now that they were in the light, Edge could properly take in her appearance. She appeared cat-like, small sharp teeth protruding from her mouth, and she had purple fur – which was covered in dust. She was also covered in a myriad of scars, many of which looked recent. Her eyes were closed now, but Edge had noticed that their yellow glow had been tainted by something slightly darker. But what completed the gruesome aura was the strange black light being emitted from her chest. Most monsters’ souls weren’t visible unless they were in battle, but the darkness radiating from this monster was visible even now, when she was unconscious. A grim feeling settled in Edge’s own soul.

“So should we take her to the holding cell?” Edge asked.

“Yeah, let’s get this thing back so Alphys can start running her tests.”

Edge grimaced at Undyne’s referral to the monster as a ‘thing’. With little effort, Undyne lifted Catty off the ground, swinging the monster over her shoulder. When they reached the basement of the King’s castle, Undyne tossed her into the cell, pulling the bars shut. The magic encasing the cell immediately thrummed to life, creating a glowing red barrier around the bars. Undyne began busying herself with some paperwork, taking a seat in the corner of the room, while Edge observed the monster curiously.

He had never seen one of these creatures up this close, usually dusting them before they could get within ten feet of him. But now he could truly feel the darkness emanating from Catty’s soul. It almost seemed to drain the light out of his own soul, giving off a cold glow.

“Edge,” Undyne suddenly called, “come look at this.” Edge tore his eyes away from the dark illumination, and went to stand by Undyne’s side. She was looking through the folder of missing monsters Mettaton had given her. She was holding a picture of a purple cat-like monster, who—wait…

“That’s—”

“It’s her, Edge. This is the monster we captured today.”

Edge examined the picture more closely, then glanced up at the unconscious monster in the cell. The monster in the photograph was certainly less hostile looking, and didn’t possess the same dark aura, but there was no mistaking it. And the name above the picture confirmed her identity – Catty.

This corrupted creature was one of the missing monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, Bratty!


	29. Chapter 29

“Hey Boss, you’re home late.”

“Brother, I need to speak with you immediately.”

Edge had just walked in the door, and Red was sitting on the sofa with Sans and Papyrus, watching television. Red looked at his brother in surprise. He seemed tense, his eye-lights sharp. He also had a tired look about him, and Red noticed a fresh scar on his left arm. Red nodded wordlessly, and got up from his spot on the sofa between Sans and Papyrus, who exchanged a look with each other. Red followed his brother upstairs and into his bedroom, where Edge closed and locked the door.

“Boss, what is this—”

“This is about the case, brother,” Edge said, sitting down on his bed. Red sat beside him, looking up at his brother with worry.

“The Core case? What about it?” Red was a little surprised that Edge was bringing this up with him. His brother had recently informed him that Undyne would no longer be requiring his assistance with the investigation, much to Red's annoyance. He didn't like being kept out of the loop. Edge closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, as if composing himself.

“Sans, you need to promise me something.” Edge’s tone was deep, and Red flinched slightly at his brother’s use of his real name.

“Bro, what is it? Tell me.”

Edge sighed again, his shoulders tense.

“You have to promise me this does not get back to Undyne. I have sworn not to tell you… but I don’t think I can keep this a secret. It is too critical.”

“Boss, tell me _what?”_ Red felt apprehensive, unsure what could have his brother so rattled.

“Brother, as I’m sure you probably know, the number of disappearances has been increasing by the day. More and more monsters have gone missing.”

“Yeah…”

“And, as the disappearances have increased, so too has the number of feral monsters around the Core.”

Red looked at his brother in confusion, frowning.

“Well, aren’t the disappearances because of the feral monsters Boss? I mean, you said you hadn’t found any dust but… I thought we were just presuming the missing monsters were being... killed by the feral ones.” Edge shook his head.

“It seems we had it wrong, brother. The corrupted monsters are a result of the disappearances, not the other way round.” Red’s frown deepened.

“Wait, are you saying—”

“The monsters that have gone missing – they’re the feral monsters. They’re the ones being corrupted.” Red’s eye sockets widened, and he shook his head in bewilderment.

“But-but Boss, how can that be? Surely we would have realised by now. Wouldn’t someone have recognised them at some point? How—” Edge was shaking his head.

“So far, we’ve dusted the monsters before getting close enough to be able to identify them. Not to mention, these corrupted monsters, they’re… different, somehow. They’re not themselves. Their souls have been maimed, beyond recognition. The only way Undyne and I were able to recognise the monster we captured today was because, well… they seem to be evolving.” Red froze.

“You… captured one of them?”

Edge’s eye sockets widened; it seemed he hadn’t meant to divulge this detail to Red.

“Oh… well, yes. Undyne seems to think it will help Alphys in determining what is causing their souls to become corrupted.”

“But Boss, isn’t that kind of… messed up?” Red looked at his brother uneasily. “Capturing monsters and… experimenting on them?” Edge sighed, nodding.

“I know it is, brother. I tried to convince them otherwise but… well, they are both rather stubborn. And it seems that the only way to properly understand this corruption is to examine their souls while they’re still alive. At least once it’s done we can stop this altogether.” Edge grimaced. “Believe me brother, I am not fond of Alphys’ methods.” Red felt a slight queasiness in his soul.

“Okay… and you said that they were… evolving. How?”

“Well, the ones that we encountered today seemed… in control,” Edge explained. “It was as if they understood what they were doing – they just didn’t care. Like they… enjoyed it.” Red shivered.

“And… what about their souls?” Red asked, tentatively. A dark look crossed Edge’s features.

“Well, you’ve never encountered one of them before, but…” Edge looked foreboding. “It was almost as if the darkness in their souls was stronger, more dominant. Like it was intense and focused – not like before, where their magic was wild and uncontrolled. And… it made the air around them feel… cold, desolate.” There was a distant look in Edge’s eye-lights, a shadowed look crossing his features.

“So, um, where are you keeping this monster?” Red asked, eager to change the subject.

“The King’s basement,” Edge said, grimacing. Red raised his brow bone.

“The King? He’s actually helping out for once?”

“It would be nice if his majesty would actually help us when it came to dusting these monsters, instead of just hiding away in his castle, like a coward.” Edge sighed. “No matter, hopefully we’ll get to the bottom of this soon.”

“Do you think we should tell the others about this?” Red asked. “Sans and Papyrus, I mean.” Edge shook his head.

“No, there is no need to burden them with this. I’m not even supposed to be telling you this, but I know I can’t keep secrets from you, brother.” Red winced inwardly, knowing that he kept plenty from Edge. “There is something else too, Red.”

“What is it?” Red asked, grateful for the change of subject.

“It’s about Papyrus. He seems concerned about his brother.”

Red shrugged.

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me, he’s pretty protective over Blue.”

Edge shook his head.

“No, it was more than that. This morning he had a panic attack.”

“A panic attack?” Red asked in surprise. “About what?”

“He was concerned that his brother would, well… kill someone.”

Red was bewildered.

“The Blueberry? Killing someone? Nah, no way, I don’t get what he’s so worried about. Is this about the whole Undyne training thing again?” Edge frowned, shaking his head slowly.

“No, I don’t think so. This was… deeper than that. It seems it has been bothering him for quite some time. He started to get worked up about it when I asked about the origin of his wound. The one he had when they arrived here.”

Red froze, eye-lights shrinking. He knew exactly where that wound had come from, but he couldn’t tell Edge. That would start getting them into the territory of resets - and the human. Something suddenly occurred to Red. If Papyrus had started to panic at the mention of his wound, then that had to mean that his anxieties for Sans involved the human somehow. But why would Papyrus be afraid that Sans would kill? Surely he’d be more concerned about Sans _being_ killed.

Red’s mind began to wander to Sans. Sans, the little Blueberry, who was so innocent and naïve, yet so kind and courageous. Sans, who was always so determined to get what he wanted, but never put himself before others. Sans… who had kissed him. Red felt a pleasant jolt in his soul at the thought.

“Red?”

Red was broken out of his reverie by his brother’s voice.

“Sorry, Boss, what was that?”

“I was saying that we should probably go downstairs and have dinner. It is rather late, and I must be up early in the morning.” Edge observed Red, frowning. “Are you alright brother? Is something wrong?” Red shook his head, waving him off.

“Yeah, no, I’m fine. Just a bit tired I guess. And hungry, come on, let’s eat.” Red hurriedly jumped up and made his way downstairs, feeling his brother’s eye-lights on him. He found Sans and Papyrus in the kitchen, Sans instructing his brother on how to properly cook the vegetables. Sans looked up when Red entered, and gave him a small smile, a faint blue blush on his cheeks. Red returned the smile, and took a seat at the dining table. Edge entered shortly after, sitting across from his brother.

“So, who cooked tonight?” Red asked, eyes on the food in the large pot. It seemed to be a stir fry of some sort.

“Both Papy and I did the cooking tonight!” Sans said, grinning proudly. Red groaned.

“Ugh, tell me which parts your brother cooked so I can pick them out.” Papyrus shot Red a glare.

“Or we give you nothing at all, just in case,” he said, and Red flipped him off. Once the food was ready, they all sat down to dinner, Red taking a slightly cautious first bite, still not trusting Papyrus’ cooking. He’d heard several horror stories about it from Sans. But, the food was surprisingly tasty.

“Huh, this is pretty good,” he said. “You sure you helped, Stretch? You didn’t just stand there pretending to be useful like you usually do?” Papyrus seemed amused, but Sans glared at Red.

“Red! Don’t be mean! Papy did help. Although, to be fair, I basically told him exactly what to do. But he helped, nonetheless!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll take your word for it Blue,” Red said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I think you’re a much better cook though. And much better at making _beverages_ too.” Red smirked at Sans, whose eye-lights went wide, and he looked away, blushing. Edge and Papyrus looked confused though.

“Beverages?” Papyrus asked, raising his brow bone.

“Inside joke,” Red said, waving him off.

The rest of dinner passed uneventfully, and once they’d all finished eating, Red offered to help Sans clean up. Once the other two skeletons had left the room, Red shuffled close to Sans, and pressed his teeth quickly to his cheek. Sans gave a yelp, and jumped away. Red grinned at him.

“D-don’t just do that!” Sans hissed, glaring at Red, a cyan blush on his cheeks.

“Heh, sorry. You were just looking so cute all through dinner; I just love it when you blush. I couldn’t help myself.”

Sans blushed deeper.

“Red!” he scolded, but Red could tell he was trying not to smile. Sans busied himself with scrubbing the plates clean, while Red dried off the other dishes.

“So…” said Red, casually, after a few minutes of silence, “do you wanna talk about last night?”

“Um… okay.” Sans looked nervous, not meeting Red’s eye.

“Well, you kissed me,” said Red, and he smiled to himself when he saw Sans blush.

“Y-yes, I did. But—you’re the one who wished for it! So technically, you’re the one who kissed me!”

Red chuckled.

“Heh, I suppose I did.” He slowly moved closer to Sans, but not close enough that they were touching. “Can I wish for another one?” Sans looked up, and Red smiled, sockets half lidded.

“Um…” Sans looked nervous all of a sudden, his eye-lights blown wide.

“Hey, it’s okay pal. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Red gave him a reassuring smile.

“I-I do!” said Sans. “I just um, not right now.”

“Well then, I look forward to later,” said Red, and Sans blushed again, smiling.

“Maybe when… when we got to Waterfall again?”

“Real romantic, aren’t you?” Red grinned. Sans put his hands on his hips in indignation.

“There’s nothing wrong with that! It was just… nice, the last time. I want to do it again… if you want to as well.” Red put a hand on Sans’ shoulder.

“Buddy, I’ll kiss you anywhere you want.”

Red wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Sans blush so much, and he absolutely loved it. Once they’d finished the washing up, Red was about to leave the kitchen when Sans called out to him.

“Red?”

“What’s up?” Red asked, turning to face Sans. He was looking slightly embarrassed, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Um, do you think you could maybe, um, not tell my brother… about us?” Sans looked at his feet, eye-lights shifting.

“Uh, sure,” said Red. “Can I ask why not?”

“Um, well, I’m just not sure how he’d react. And it’s all fairly new, and I don’t know if…” Sans trailed off, still staring at his shoes. Red smiled.

“Sure thing, bud. Not a word.”

Sans seemed to relax, and Red went to bed that night with the familiar pleasant tingling feeling in his soul.

 

****

 

“Hey Edge, I’m going to sleep with Sans tonight if that’s okay.” Papyrus was standing in the doorway of Edge’s bedroom, posture slightly slouched. He looked tired. Edge’s soul fluttered slightly when he noticed that Papyrus was wearing his black shirt again. Edge was sitting on his bed, pulling on his own sleeping shirt.

“Oh, of course Papyrus, you do not have to ask my permission.” Papyrus nodded, and turned to leave. “Wait, before you go, can I talk to you for a minute?” Papyrus looked at Edge, and regarded him for a few seconds, expression unreadable, before shrugging and approaching the bed. He sat down next to Edge.

“What’s up?”

“It’s about… this morning.”

Edge saw something flicker in Papyrus’ expression, but he quickly composed his features into nonchalance.

“Oh, that? It was nothing, I was just kind of tired I guess.”

Edge narrowed his eyes.

“Papyrus, that was not nothing. Look, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I just need to know if you’re okay. How are you feeling?”

Papyrus smiled wryly.

“Amazing.”

Edge frowned.

“Don’t lie.”

Papyrus sighed.

“I’m fine, honestly. Just a bit tired.”

Edge suddenly noticed that Papyrus was looking rather exhausted. The way his shoulders seemed to slump – beyond his usual lazy posture. And the bone beneath his eye sockets was slightly darker than the rest of his face, which was pale and gaunt. Something suddenly occurred to Edge. He tenderly placed a hand on Papyrus’ chest, reaching out and sensing the energy radiating from his honey-coloured soul. Its resonance was slightly weaker than normal, the magic faint.

“You were working on the Machine today.” Edge looked into Papyrus’ eyes, and saw that his golden eye-lights were slightly dim.

“Look, Edge, I don’t need another lecture.”

“I’m not going to lecture you,” said Edge. “I know I can’t stop you from fixing it. But I want you to be careful. Don’t use too much of your magic at once, it weakens you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m weak, you need to protect me, all that. Got it.” Papyrus looked irritated, and Edge placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t think you’re weak, Papyrus,” Edge said, earnestly. “I know you can take care of yourself. Sometimes I just worry that you don’t want to.” Papyrus looked at Edge suddenly, eye-lights intense, but expression fragile.

“Edge, could you—could you heal me?” Papyrus looked at Edge tentatively, and Edge’s eye sockets widened.

“O-of course,” he said, a little surprised. He took both of Papyrus’ hands in his own. “Any time you want, you just ask, okay?” Papyrus nodded. Edge then moved one of his hands to Papyrus’ chest, his other still firmly clasped around Papyrus’ fingers. He lifted his hoodie, and placed his hand over the area where the faint golden glow of Papyrus’ soul could be seen. Gradually, he allowed his crimson magic to flow from his fingertips, feeding into the pale orange organ beneath them. He heard Papyrus gasp quietly, and let his eyes fall closed, enjoying the feeling of the other’s soul, his faint sweet smell, the sound of his breathing.

Edge gently pulled Papyrus closer to him, and his own soul began to respond to their proximity, emitting a dull ruby glow. As Edge continued to channel his magic into Papyrus’ chest, Papyrus dropped his head onto Edge’s shoulder, and Edge could clearly hear the sound of his ragged breathing. He let his magic grow slightly more intense, and Papyrus gave a small moan, gripping onto the front of Edge’s shirt. Suddenly, Edge felt Papyrus bite down on his shoulder, causing him to gasp, his magic stuttering slightly.

“S-sorry!” Papyrus whispered, breathing still heavy.

“N-no,” Edge murmured, “that felt… good. Do it again.” Papyrus looked up at Edge, his expression slightly amused, but obliged, bending his head and running his teeth over the area, before gently latching his sharp canines onto the bones at Edge’s shoulder. Edge gave a soft moan, and his steady flow of magic into Papyrus’ soul intensified. He felt something soft and wet slide over his collar bone, and saw that Papyrus had conjured up his orange ecto-tongue, and was licking over the bones around Edge’s clavicle. He watched as Papyrus slid his tongue down the sensitive bones, and his breath hitched as the other skeleton’s hand trailed over his chest, so close to his soul. He closed his eyes, placing his free hand on the back of Papyrus’ skull, gently guiding him over the bones of his shoulder, his neck, his jaw, until eventually, he felt the other’s tongue reach his mouth. He parted his teeth, granting Papyrus entrance, and feeling his golden magic gliding over the bones inside his mouth. He summoned his own tongue, meeting Papyrus’, tasting the delicious sweetness of his magic.

“Stars,” Papyrus murmured against his mouth, “I still have no idea how we did this the first time without jumping each other’s bones.” Edge was about to grumble about the joke, but it quickly turned into a groan as Papyrus reached his hand into Edge’s chest, and ran a phalange over his soul.

“Ah, f-fuck,” he moaned, his own hand dropping from Papyrus’ chest, cutting off the flow of magic into his amber soul, to grip onto his hoodie, pulling him closer. He felt Papyrus laughing softly against his chest, and pulled his head back, glaring at him. “What’s so funn—ah!” He was broken off as Papyrus stroked his soul firmly, sending a surge of pleasure through him.

“Well,” said Papyrus, still stroking Edge’s soul, causing him to whimper slightly, “we probably shouldn’t get too carried away – I may have forgotten to close the door.” Edge jerked his head up, twisting his body to face the door – which was wide open.

“Damn it, Papyrus!” he growled, pulling away from the other skeleton, and storming over to the door, slamming it a little too forcefully. “How long did you know?” He glared at Papyrus, who was still sitting on the bed, smirking.

“A few minutes.” Papyrus grinned as Edge’s eye sockets widened. “But you were making such wonderful sounds, I couldn’t just stop.”

“Ugh, fuck you.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to get you to do all night.”

Edge glared harder, eye-lights flashing.

“No, I’m mad at you now. Our brothers probably heard us!”

Papyrus waved his hand, carelessly.

“Nah, my bro sleeps like a rock. And well, yours has already seen me in a very compromising position, so I’m not too bothered about him. Plus, we know that he sent dick pics to someone online, so it’s not like he can hold it against us.” Edge continued to scowl.

“Well, it’s still inappropriate. Anyway, how are you feeling?”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Pretty horny, I guess?”

Edge sighed in exasperation.

“I mean, how is your soul? Do you think I healed you enough?”

“I feel pretty good, but I could definitely go for some more of that healing.” A mischievous grin played onto Papyrus' features, and Edge rolled his eye-lights.

“I’ll take that as a yes. I’m going to go to bed now, feel free to sleep where you like.”

“I think I’ll still sleep with my bro, if it’s all the same to you,” said Papyrus.

“I thought you were horny.” Edge regarded Papyrus with a dubious look.

“Yeah true, guess I’ll take a shower first then. Feel free to join.” Papyrus smirked, but Edge gave him a bemused look.

“I’ll pass. A shower sounds good though, maybe it’ll wash the taste of honey off you.” Edge said it as an insult, but he secretly loved the way Papyrus tasted.

“I taste that way because I’m so sweet,” said Papyrus, winking. Edge groaned.

“Please just go,” he said, voice tired. “You’re a lot more fun when you aren’t talking.” Papyrus chuckled and strode past Edge, dragging his phalanges across his waist as he did so. Edge glared at him as he walked away, but still couldn’t stop himself from admiring him from behind.

When Papyrus was gone, he closed his bedroom door, flopping down onto the bed. After a few minutes, he dozed off into a comfortable sleep – but his comfort was short-lived.


	30. Chapter 30

_It was dark in the room. Edge couldn’t make out much apart from what looked like a high metal table, above which hung a dim light. There were several glass vials on the table, filled with strange looking liquids. Suddenly, Edge was lying on the table, facing the ceiling. What? How did he get here? His arms and legs were strapped down. He tried to struggle, but he felt weak, his limbs heavy. Then he heard a voice. But it wasn’t quite like a normal voice. It wasn’t making any coherent words, just echoes. A shadow loomed over him._

_The image shifted, and Edge was now standing in a different room. There was a chair against the wall, and strapped to the chair was… his brother! But he looked different – younger. And he didn’t have many of the scars he usually bore. Edge tried to run towards him, but he couldn’t move. He seemed to be pinned against the wall, a strange heaviness in his soul._

_‘Don’t hurt him,’ said a small, child-like voice, and Edge realised it had come from him, although he didn’t remember speaking. ‘Please, don’t hurt him.’ Edge couldn’t see anyone else in the room, but he felt a presence. A cold, empty shadow that seemed to dominate the vicinity, its darkness all around him. It felt familiar somehow – there was a nagging sense in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp at it._

_A cold voice echoed through the room, sending a shiver down his spine, but once again, there were no words._

_‘Please, don’t—’_

_He suddenly felt a sharp pain slash across his left eye socket, and a cry escaped him._

_The image changed again. This time he was in what looked like a bedroom, although it was very bare; there were only several single beds lined up in rows of three. The rest of the room was empty and dingy. And this time he seemed to be watching the scene from the outside, rather than experiencing it. Sitting on one of the beds were two small skeletons. Red, and… himself. Only, he looked very young, almost a babybones. And he was holding something… Red’s collar? It seemed to be glowing faintly. Red was dabbing his eye socket with a piece of damp cloth, which came away stained crimson. There were two deep cuts across the socket, blood and magic oozing from them. Red had his arm around him, comforting him._

_‘You need to put it on, bro,’ Red said._

_‘I-I don’t like wearing it,’ Edge's babybones self responded, in the same small voice he'd heard earlier._

_‘Trust me, you’ll feel better if you do.’_

_‘W-what if he—’_

_‘I won’t let him do that again.’ Red's voice was dark, almost angry._

_‘Please Sans, he’s going to kill us.’_

_‘I won’t let him.’_

_Edge tried to move towards the younger versions of his brother and his self, but suddenly the scene was swirling, changing again. Only this time, he was surrounded by complete darkness. He found that he couldn’t move, as if his feet were stuck to the floor. And then – that voice. A cold, piercing sound, like needles against his skull. A shadow seemed to cloud his mind, sending an icy tension through him. The voice echoed louder, and his soul felt like it was shrinking, a darkness clouding it. The shadow moved closer, bearing over him, trapping him, he couldn’t breathe…_

Edge woke up suddenly, gasping. He was still in his own bed, and a glance at the clock on his phone told him it was 3:14am. A cold sweat covered his forehead, and he was panting. His soul didn’t feel cold, as it had in the dream, but his head hurt, and the strange, wordless voice still seemed to echo through it. Edge sat up, running a hand across his forehead. What in the world had that been? The dream had been so vivid, so real, like a memory, but Edge hadn’t recognised any of it. He ran his hand over the scar on his left eye socket, remembering the way something had slashed across it, the pain almost unbearable. It didn’t hurt now. And who had that younger version of his brother been talking about? Who had he thought was going to kill them?

Edge was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by a sharp cry from downstairs. He jumped out of bed, rushing down the stairs and into the living room, where his brother was squirming on the couch, still asleep. Edge hurried over to him, shaking him.

“Red? Red… Sans, wake up!” Red’s eye sockets flew open, and for a moment he looked terrified, attempting to cry out, but Edge brought a hand over his mouth. “Brother, calm down, it was only a dream, I’m here.” He held Red at arm’s length, looking him in the eye. Red slowly stopped squirming.

“B-Boss, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to wake you.” There was a thin sheen of sweat on Red’s skull, and his eye-lights were wide.

“Was it a nightmare?” Edge asked, calmly. Red nodded, and Edge narrowed his eye sockets. “You haven’t had a nightmare in… months, even longer perhaps.” Suspicion crept into his soul. “Red, tell me what it was about.”

“I—I’m not too sure,” said Red, slowly. “It was mostly just images… of this room… m-maybe, I’m not sure. And there was… this voice…” Red shivered slightly, and Edge noticed his hand go up to the collar around his neck. Edge’s frown deepened.

“And… were we there?”

Red looked surprised.

“Y-yes we were, how did you—”

“And we were young? Almost babybones?” Edge stared at his brother intently, and Red’s eye sockets widened.

“Yes… Boss, how-how did you know?”

Edge held his brother’s gaze, a feeling of dread settling in his soul.

“Because, brother – I had the same dream.”

 

****

 

It was light outside when Sans woke up, his brother still fast asleep next to him. He checked the time on his newly acquired cell phone, and saw that it was already nine o’ clock in the morning. How had he slept so late?

“Papy,” he whispered, shaking his brother. Papyrus rolled over, groaning. “Papy, wake up! It’s late.” Papyrus’ eye sockets blinked opened, and he looked at his brother sleepily.

“How late?” he asked, groggily.

“Already nine o’ clock!”

“Nine o’ clock at night?”

Sans sighed.

“No, silly! In the morning.”

Papyrus rolled back over, closing his eyes again.

“Bro, if it’s still morning, it’s not late.”

Sans growled, huffing at his brother’s laziness.

“Papy, you have to get up!” Sans said, shaking his brother. Papyrus didn’t budge, and Sans frowned. “Papy, please.” Still nothing. “Brother, if you wake up, I will make you some delicious omelettes for breakfast!” Papyrus slowly turned, peering at his brother over the pillow.

“With honey?” he asked, cautiously.

“With honey!” Sans said, grinning.

“Hmm… okay, fine. But I’m going to need a nap later after waking up this early.”

Sans huffed, but decided to take it as a victory. After getting dressed, he scampered excitedly downstairs, Papyrus following at a slower pace, still yawning. When Sans entered the kitchen, he found a note lying on the table. It was from Red.

_Blueberry_

Sans glared at the nickname, but kept reading.

_Got sentry duty this morning and then gotta help Boss with something in the afternoon, but I’ll try and make it for lunch. Waterfall?_

_Red_

Sans’ soul did a little somersault. Red wanted to go to Waterfall. Did that mean he wanted to kiss Sans again? Sans blushed at the thought. He certainly wanted to kiss Red again. But at the same time, a sudden flutter of anxiety passed through his soul at the prospect. What if Red suddenly changed his mind, and didn’t want to kiss him anymore? Or what if Sans was a terrible kisser, and Red was just humouring him? Or what if—

“Hey bro, what’s that?”

Papyrus had just entered the room, and was looking at the note in Sans’ hand. Sans quickly scrunched it up and shoved it in his pocket.

“Um, nothing!” he said, quickly. “I’ll, uh, get started on the omelettes.” He busied himself with gathering up the eggs, and other ingredients – including the honey. Papyrus took a seat at the table, observing Sans as he cooked.

“So bro, what’s been up with you recently? We haven’t really had a chance to speak much. Anything interesting?”

Sans looked up at his brother in surprise, and shook his head frantically.

“Uh, nope! Not really.”

Papyrus raised his brow bone.

“What about Red? You two have been spending quite a lot of time together these past few days.”

Sans’ soul flipped, and he did his best to force down the blush that threatened to colour his cheek bones.

“Uh, that’s just because he was helping me! With um… some Royal Guard Training? Yeah, yeah! He was just, uh, you know, teaching me some moves.” Sans gritted his teeth, forcing what he hoped was a convincing smile onto his face. Papyrus looked a little dubious, but shrugged.

“And the other night? At the bar? What were you two up to? You kept wandering off to _get drinks.”_

“How do you even remember that? You were practically all over Edge!”

Papyrus’ eye sockets widened, a faint orange blush on his cheeks.

“Hey! Don’t avoid the question.”

“Well, we were just um… having, uh, a drinking contest!”

“A… drinking contest?” Papyrus gave him a skeptical look.

“Yes, a drinking contest!” said Sans. “That was what the, uh, bet was about. I won! So now I get to keep Red’s phone.”

“Huh. Good job, bro.” Papyrus looked impressed. “What was your penalty if Red won?”

“Oh, uh…” Sans’ mind scrambled for a suitable answer. “Just something about… naughty texts?” He gave his brother what he hoped was a convincing look. Papyrus chuckled.

“Heh, sounds like him.”

Sans breathed an internal sigh of relief, and returned to the omelettes. Once they were ready, he sat down beside his brother, placing a plate of them in front of him. Papyrus picked up the honey and squeezed a generous helping onto his own omelettes.

“Papy!” Sans cried, exasperated. “You know I cooked honey into the omelettes!”

“Yeah, but you can never have too much honey,” said Papyrus, his omelettes drenched in the syrupy liquid. Sans begged to differ, eyeing the sickly sweet liquid with disgust. They ate in silence, and Sans gazed out the window, seeing that snow had started to fall.

“Papy?” he said, after a few minutes.

“Mhm?” Papyrus’ mouth was full of omelette.

“What is the, um, situation with you and Edge?” Sans asked tentatively. “Are you two… dating?” Papyrus’ eye sockets widened, and he swallowed his mouthful of food.

“Uh, well… not exactly? I, uh, don’t really—”

“Do you love him?” Sans blurted out. Papyrus’ eyes went wider, an orange flush appearing on his cheeks.

“Love him? Well, er, it’s a bit soon for that… um…”

“But—you like him, don’t you?” Sans looked up at his brother.

“Uh, yeah. I do.”

“A lot?”

Papyrus hesitated, before nodding.

“A lot.”

Sans felt a tiny flicker of jealousy within his soul, but it was quickly snuffed out when he saw the smile on his brother’s face, the faint orange blush on his cheeks, and the way his eye-lights seemed to soften. Sans smiled at him.

“Good,” he said. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Thanks bro.”

Silence reigned for a few seconds, until Sans said, “Papy?” Papyrus looked at him.

“Yeah?”

“What does—what does it feel like… when you’re around him? What does it feel like when you… like someone in that way?”

Papyrus looked surprised for a moment, bringing a hand up to the back of his skull.

“Well, um… it’s, uh… sort of… pleasant, I guess. And warm. And sometimes a little exciting, like a tingling in your soul. And at first it’s a little bit scary… although that might just be because it’s Edge – but after a while, you start to trust them, and they start to make you feel safe.” Sans looked his brother in the eye. Papyrus had always made him feel like that, but recently, Sans realised, Red had been making him feel some of those things too. A sudden thrill went through his soul, and he threw his arms around his brother.

“Thank you, Papy! I love you.”

Papyrus seemed taken aback for a moment, before returning the hug, patting Sans on the back, gently.

“I love you too, bro.”

 

****

 

“Hey, Blue, you okay?”

“Huh?”

Sans looked up quickly from where he was crouching beside an Echo Flower, to see Red, who was raising his brow bone slightly.

“I said, are you okay? You’ve been acting a little… weird.”

Sans shook his head, then changed it to a nod, not sure which he should opt for.

“N-no—I mean yes! I’m fine.” He quickly looked away from Red, returning his focus to the Echo Flower which he’d been examining. He jumped a little when Red crouched down beside him.

“You sure?” he asked, smiling at Sans, who nodded profusely.

“Yes, yes! Of course.” He turned his attention back to the Echo Flower, running a hand over its large, glowing petals. He felt very aware of Red’s presence beside him, and did his best to ignore him. He couldn’t control the small gasp that escaped him though, when Red reached out his own hand and placed it over Sans’. Sans jumped up, quickly, pulling his hand away, clasping both his hands behind his back. “I’m, um, going to go—catch some wisps!” he squeaked, before scurrying off to the small area across the bridge where wisps floated through the air. He didn’t miss the slight look of dejection on Red’s face before he turned around, though. He felt a slump of guilt in his soul. Sans! What is wrong with? he scolded himself. Why was he acting so weird? He’d told Red that he would kiss him again when they came back to Waterfall, so why couldn’t he just build up the courage and do it? He tried to distract himself from these thoughts by attempting to catch some of the wisps that were drifting around the tall grass near the river. But it seemed his wisp-catching skills were not up to standard today, because he couldn’t capture a single one. He huffed in disappointment.

“Not your day?”

Sans spun around to see Red, leaning against the railing of the small wooden bridge.

“Um, I-I think they’re just very—very fast today!” Sans felt a twinge of frustration in his soul. Why couldn’t he just talk to Red properly today?

“Need a hand?” Red asked, cocking his head slightly to the side. He strolled casually up to Sans, until he was standing right in front of him. Sans held his breath, staring into Red’s crimson eye-lights, his own eyes wide. He suddenly felt Red’s hand intertwining with his own, and his breath hitched. He looked down, eyes wide. He could feel Red’s proximity in his soul, his presence sending a jolt of excitement through him. But…

“Um, I—I think we should head home now!” Sans almost shouted, and Red drew away slightly, hand still clasped around Sans’. Sans blushed, and stared at the ground.

“Oh, uh… okay.” Red sounded a little dejected, and Sans felt that familiar sense of guilt returning to his soul.

“W-well just—just because, uh, Papy shouldn’t—shouldn’t be by himself for too long!” Sans said, hoping to reassure Red that this wasn’t because of him. Unfortunately, this didn’t seem the right way to go, because Red’s face fell even more.

“Right. Papyrus. How could I forget?” His tone was slightly stiff. “Guess I’d better take you home.” Without warning, Red teleported them onto the front porch, Sans wobbling slightly on his feet as they landed. Without looking at Sans, Red marched inside. Sans quickly followed, and by the time he was through the door, Red had already made his way half way up the stairs. Papyrus was nowhere in sight. Probably napping, Sans thought with irritation.

“R-Red!” Sans called, and Red turned. “Um, I—I just want you to know that… that I like spending time with you.” Sans blushed, looking down.

“Oh.” The surprise in Red’s voice made Sans look up, and he saw that Red’s expression was a little more relaxed than it had been a few moments ago. “Um… thanks. Y-you too. I mean, me too—I like spending time with you too.” Red blushed, looking away, and Sans felt a little happier.

“Y-yes!” he said, quickly. “You’re a great friend!”

_Friend?_ Darn it, Sans! He cursed himself. Red’s smile fell a bit, but he nodded, and made his way up the remainder of the stairs, disappearing from Sans’ sight.

Sans flopped down on the couch in exasperation. Why was he so awkward around Red all of a sudden?


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, the tags have been updated for this chapter. Only a minor warning for mentions of non-con, but I thought it would be best to put it in the tags anyway.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

A few days passed without event. Edge would leave very early every morning, and Red would head off shortly after, leaving Sans and Papyrus to their own devices at the house. Papyrus mostly worked on the Machine, while Sans watched, either talking without end about either his future Royal Guard training, or – not much to Papyrus’ surprise – Red. The Royal Guard thing worried him. Sans hadn’t had another session with Undyne since his first, but Papyrus suspected it would come up again soon, and he was dreading it. The idea of Sans becoming a fighter… or a killer… it weighed on his soul, making it feel heavy. As for the thing with Red, Papyrus wasn’t so concerned. He’d suspected that something had been going on between them, but he hadn’t said anything, not wanting to put Sans on the spot. Maybe he’d pester Red about it later.

Papyrus had also noticed a strange tension in Edge and Red. Both had been rather jumpy lately, and Papyrus wondered if it had anything to do with Edge’s work. He’d overheard them talking about some troubling case they were working on, but both would immediately fall silent the moment Papyrus or Sans entered the room.

Papyrus also found that working on the Machine was starting to take its toll on him. It was an incredible strain on his magic, and while Edge’s healing had recovered him, the fatigue was slowly returning with each day he spent slowly feeding it his magic. Edge seemed to notice, constantly asking if Papyrus was okay, or if he needed more healing. But Papyrus always refused, feeling guilty for burdening Edge. As much as he enjoyed it when Edge healed him, Papyrus knew that too much healing would wear Edge down, and he didn’t want to be an inconvenience. So instead, he found himself going to bed early, sometimes still sleeping late into the morning. Sleeping so often meant that Papyrus hardly got to see Edge, though, who spent most of his time working.

Papyrus didn't complain about it, but seeing Edge less often left a strange sort of emptiness in his soul. It seemed silly - he'd only known Edge for about a month, but he somehow felt that Edge was grounding him. That this dark version of himself was showing him that perhaps this world wasn't as bad as it seemed - that maybe it wasn't such a terrible place after all. Even, perhaps, that there was still hope for Sans, living in a place like this. He knew of course, that both Edge and Red were killers. But the way Edge spoke to Papyrus, and the way he treated him, it made Papyrus feel safe, not afraid. The way Edge's voice went soft when he held Papyrus close to him. The way his touches were so gentle, so kind, completely lacking any sort of malice. Seeing Edge this way almost calmed Papyrus' fears and anxieties about his brother - about what this world could do to him. The feeling of Edge - who he'd been so afraid of upon their arrival in this universe - holding Papyrus close at night, keeping him safe—it gave Papyrus hope for Sans.

One morning, Papyrus woke up to the feeling of someone shaking him.

“Mm, fuck off…” he mumbled, rolling over.

“Dude, it’s Red. Wake up, I’m bored.” Papyrus made an incoherent sound and shoved a pillow over his head. “Come on, Stretch, get up. It’s eight o’ clock in the morning.” Papyrus turned over, scowling at Red.

“Seriously? I need at least four more hours of sleep in that case.” He rolled onto his front, burying his face in the pillow, only to have it rudely snatched away.

“Hey!" Red said, snapping his fingers. "Come on, get up you lazybones. I’m not as patient as your little bro. He didn’t want to wake you up before he left.” This got Papyrus’ attention. He sat up quickly, suddenly realising that Sans was absent from the bed.

“He left? Where did he go?”

“Heh, about time,” said Red, grinning. Papyrus glared, and seeing his irritation, Red waved him off. “Hey dude, don’t worry, Boss just took him to see Undyne. She wanted to continue with his training.” A surge of panic went through Papyrus’ soul.

“He’s going back to training?” he asked, frantically. “I thought—I thought he was done with that!”

“Hey, calm down, bud, it’s not a big deal. Boss is gonna be supervising this time, he won’t let anything happen.” Red looked at Papyrus with a deliberate expression. “He’s not gonna let Undyne force Sans to do anything he doesn’t want to.” Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Red suddenly looked nervous.

“Look, Stretch—”

“Edge told you, didn’t he?” Papyrus asked, and Red sighed.

“Of course he did, my bro and I don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“Oh really?” Papyrus raised his brow bone.

“Oh, shut up,” Red said, grimacing. “Look, the thing is, we know you don’t like the idea of your brother gaining LOVE – but at the end of the day, it’s his choice isn’t it?” Papyrus felt anger flare up in his soul.

“My brother would never kill anyone!” he growled. “Not by choice, he—he just wouldn’t!” Red shrugged, seeming unfazed by Papyrus’ sudden bout of rage.

“Whatever you say dude, just remember – sometimes there is no choice.” Something flashed in Red’s eye-lights for a second, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Just get downstairs and have some breakfast.” Red pulled a face. “Your brother made us buy more of that disgusting stuff you love so much.” Papyrus lightened up slightly.

“You got more honey?”

“Unfortunately.”

“At least it’s better than mustard.”

Red gave him an incredulous look.

“Dude, nothing is better than mustard.”

“Whatever, you freak,” Papyrus said, rolling his eye-lights. Red glared at him for a second, then he looked over Papyrus, his eye-lights widening.

“Whoa, is that my brother’s shirt?”

Papyrus pulled up the sheets as if to cover himself.

“No.”

“Uh, yeah it is! Did you two—”

“No!” Papyrus said, quickly. “He just lent it to me.”

Red gave him a suggestive look.

“Yeah, but why though?”

Papyrus glared.

“I don’t know, maybe you should ask him! Ugh, just go eat your damn mustard.”

Red chuckled, before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Papyrus breathed an internal sigh of relief. He looked down at the shirt, twisting his hands in the fabric. There was something eternally satisfying about wearing someone else’s clothes, he decided. Especially someone he… Papyrus shook off the thought. After getting changed, he too headed downstairs, finding Red in the kitchen, a bowl of mustard already in front of him. Papyrus made a gagging gesture, earning him a flip of Red’s finger, before retrieving his own bowl. He found a large bottle of honey in the cupboard, smiling to himself, and squeezed a helping into the bowl. He sat down in front of Red, bringing a spoon of the sweet liquid up to his mouth.

“Mm, delicious!” he said, dramatically. Red glared.

“You’re disgusting, and you should be ashamed.”

“At least I don’t eat stuff that tastes like it came from a garbage can.”

“Hey, that stuff you’re eating gives Blue a run for his money in the department of _overly sweet.”_

“Sans isn’t overly sweet!” Papyrus said defensively, and Red gave him a skeptical look. “Okay, maybe sometimes. But hey, you seem to like that?” Papyrus gave Red a suggestive look. Red's expression went shocked suddenly, and he dropped his spoon with a clatter.

“W-what? What are you talking about?” Red’s cheeks had turned a pale cherry colour, and Papyrus smirked.

“Heh, please. Dude, I’m not an idiot. But if you wanna bang my brother, that’s cool.” Red’s eye-lights blew wide, and he jumped up from his seat, leaning across the table.

“Hey, we’ve only kissed like, once!” he yelled, defensively. Papyrus grinned.

“Ha! I knew it! Dude, obviously I knew you weren’t boning, my bro has standards.” Red glared, his blush intensifying.

“W-what—he—you—.” Red couldn’t seem to find words, spluttering incoherently.

“Chill, Red, it’s okay,” said Papyrus, casually, and Red seemed to relax, sitting back down. Papyrus then narrowed his eyes, expression darkening. “Just don’t mess with him, okay? Otherwise, you’re gonna have a bad time.” Red nodded.

“Same goes for my bro.”

“Fair,” Papyrus agreed.

“Although, to be fair, he can probably fuck you up more than I can,” said Red, pondering. “In fact, I imagine Blue is the same. He’s probably capable of a lot more than he seems to be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Papyrus asked, feeling a flicker of irritation, and Red seemed to realise he’d said something wrong.

“Nothing, nothing,” he said, quickly. “I won’t hurt your brother, okay? Not sure he even likes me back so it doesn't really matter...” Red mumbled, looking away. Papyrus looked up in surprise.

"Why would you say that?"

Red shrugged, looking a little deflated.

"Eh, I dunno, he just always seems so... weird around me, like he's trying to get away or something."

Papyrus raised his brow bone.

"You mean he starts babbling about something arbitrary and then suddenly declares he has to go do something else?"

Red frowned.

"Well, uh, yeah, I guess."

"Yeah dude, he likes you," said Papyrus, blasé. Red looked up in shock, blushing.

"W-what? How do you know?"

Papyrus shrugged, returning to his honey.

"He's just nervous, I've seen it all the time."

Red looked bewildered.

"But yesterday, he called me his—his friend!"

"So? Aren't you his friend?"

Red looked flustered.

"W-well yes, but—"

"So, keep being his friend. You'll know if he wants something more, trust me." Papyrus continued to eat his honey, smirking slightly at the crimson blush on Red's cheeks.

"So... he does like me?" Red asked, tentatively.

"Honestly, bud, the other day he asked me what love felt like."

Red's eyes widened.

"L-love? What did he say?"

Papyrus shrugged.

"Well he was just asking what it felt like for me with Edge, and then—"

"Whoa, wait. You... you love my brother?"

Papyrus froze.

"W-what, I didn't—"

"You just said that Blue was asking about love, and that you told him what it felt like with Edge—"

"N-no I didn't!" Papyrus felt flustered, his soul hammering in his chest. "I-I'm going to go work on the Machine," he said, quickly standing up and hurrying out of the room. When he reached the basement, he marched over to the Machine, trying to distract himself from the pounding feeling in his soul, and the confusing thoughts straying across his mind. The Machine was in a much better state than it had been a couple of weeks ago. Since he’d been feeding magic into the black portal almost every day, most of the smaller cracks had resealed themselves. Even some of the larger ones were beginning to look better. Still, Papyrus had hoped this wouldn’t take so long, but it was a huge drain on his magic just to fix a small area of the mirror-like surface. Every session left him feeling weaker. Truth be told, he’d grown frustrated the other day at how slowly his magic was mending the object, and spent a little too much. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Edge was starting to notice his fatigue.

Papyrus opened the Machine's glass doors, examining the work he’d done so far. The void within it had taken on a rather luminous appearance, Papyrus’ magic appearing in faint flashes of orange and gold every now and then. Stepping inside, he reached out to the shimmering surface. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, placing his hands against the mirror, and letting a steady stream of magic flow from his fingertips.

“Don’t mind me, just observing,” came a voice from behind him, and he jumped, his magic dissipating. Red was standing at the door, still eating his bowl of mustard, slouching lazily against the frame. “Hm, don’t stop on my behalf, I won’t get in your way,” he said, through a mouthful of mustard. Papyrus sighed, giving him a bemused look.

“What do you want, Red? Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Come on pal, I’m bored,” Red said, taking a seat on the floor next to the Machine. Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

“So? Go watch TV or something.”

“Nah, you’re way more fun.” Red grinned, and Papyrus sighed.

"Look, Red, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. Don't you have anything better to do than pester me about stuff?"

"So like, what's the big deal with you and your brother becoming a killer anyway?" Red asked, ignoring Papyrus, who felt his soul go cold. "I mean, it's not like Blue's exactly murderer material."

"Red, please just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about this."

Red shrugged, holding his hands up in mock-innocence.

"Okay, sorry I brought it up, dude." He paused. "Although... I know it has something to do with the human..." Papyrus' soul jolted, uncomfortably.

"Red, just fucking drop it! Okay?"

Red looked up at him in shock.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean..."

Papyrus scowled, turning away, his attention focusing on the Machine, once again. He was about to begin the steady flow of magic when he paused for a moment, frowning.

“Wait a minute... aren’t you meant to have sentry duty today?” he asked, turning to give Red a suspicious look. Red's eyes widened, and his expression turned defensive.

“What? No. Uh, well yeah, but Boss said I could—”

“He told you to stay here and keep a watch on me, didn’t he?” Papyrus felt irritation simmering in his soul, his eye-lights growing intense.

“Look, Stretch, he just—”

“Fuck you. I don’t need be kept under fucking suicide watch.” Papyrus stepped out of the Machine, slamming the doors behind him, and causing it to rattle.

“Papyrus, wait—”

“Fuck off, Red.” Papyrus stormed out of the room, up the stairs, and out of the basement. When he was outside, he suddenly realised that he really didn’t feel like going back inside the house – Red would only come and try to find him again. So instead, he opted to walk down the snowy path – in the direction of the town.

 

****

 

“Fuck,” Red mumbled to himself as Papyrus left the room, slamming the door. He grudgingly pulled himself to his feet, and made to follow the other skeleton, but then paused, glancing at the Machine. He was impressed to see that Papyrus had made some decent headway with fixing up the cracks. It was certainly in much better condition than it had been after Red had made the mistake of trying to touching it a few weeks back. He felt a twinge of guilt, wondering if maybe Papyrus would have finished working on it by now if he hadn’t interfered with the strange void, making it worse. He shook off the thought, opening the glass doors and peering at the dark void behind the cracked surface of the mirror. Flecks of orange and gold could be seen within it. Red reached out, summoning his magic and pushing it against the glass. But, just as it had last time, the Machine refused to accept it. Slightly disappointed, Red stepped back, deciding that he should probably go try and talk to Papyrus. He trudged up the stairs, and around to the front door.

“Stretch?” he called, as he entered the house. “Yo, Papyrus, can we talk?” There was no response. Red huffed, deciding that he was probably sulking in his room, and clambered up the stairs. He opened his bedroom door. “Hey, Stretch, you…” But the room was empty. Red frowned. Maybe he was in Edge’s room. He made his way to his brother’s room, but Papyrus wasn’t there either. Red began to feel slightly uneasy. Okay, he thought, it’s okay, he must just be in the kitchen. But Red had a bad feeling in the pit of his soul. He rushed down the stairs, and into the kitchen, but, as he’d dreaded, Papyrus wasn’t there either. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Red swore to himself. “Damn it Papyrus.” He rushed outside, and stood on the front porch, scanning the path in front of the house desperately, but there was no sign of the lanky skeleton. “Shit, you idiot.” Red began to panic. What if Papyrus had been attacked?

Red suddenly noticed a set of tracks in the snow. They were heading in the direction of the town. He quickly followed them, but they ended after about a minute of walking. Papyrus must have taken a short-cut. Swearing again, Red scanned as far as his eye-lights could see, but no one was in sight. He spent the next ten or so minutes wandering around the town, which was quiet as always, but he found no sign of Papyrus. Still swearing to himself, Red eventually headed back home, deciding that he was going to have to call his brother. It was only when he’d walked through the front door that he remembered Sans had his cell phone. “For fuck’s sake, can nothing go right,” he grumbled to himself. Red realised he was going to have to take a short-cut to Undyne’s house. Man, Boss was going to be pissed.

 

****

 

Papyrus wandered towards the town, breathing in the cold air. It was nice to be outside for a change, he’d been growing rather bored of the house. Plus, for the first time since arriving here, he was outside, and he was alone. He wasn’t too sure where he was going, but he did know that he wanted to get far away from the house. Suddenly, he noticed a couple of figures up ahead. Papyrus knew he could probably handle them, but he still didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself, so he took a quick short cut, landing up somewhere near the edge of Snowdin Forest. Okay, not exactly what he’d planned, but he’d take it.

After a while of just walking through the trees, appreciating the quiet, Papyrus noticed a very familiar door up ahead. It was large and purple, a strange ruin painted in black on the wood. This door seemed a bit worse-for-wear, in comparison to the one in his own universe, but there was no mistaking it. This was the door he’d always practiced his knock-knock jokes on. He strolled up to it, sitting down with his back against it, and closed his eyes for a moment. Despite being in such a dangerous world, where he could practically smell the dust in the air, it was nice to be alone. He didn’t feel safe, by any means, but in a way, he didn’t even care. It felt like, now that he was away from the others, he could escape all his worries about Sans, and the Machine, and the human, and... Edge... just by sitting here at this door. He experimentally knocked against the wood, leaning the side of his skull against it. But there was no response, and Papyrus couldn’t hear any noise from the other side. He’d never actually met the owner of the deep voice that always came from the other side of the door, Papyrus realised. Maybe one day, if they ever got back…

“Hey, I know you.”

Papyrus jumped at the voice. Standing before him were two of the fish monsters from the bar the other night. He felt a brief bout of panic in his soul, but quickly quashed it, arranging his face into a lazy smirk.

“Well, if it isn’t the sleaze squad,” he said, keeping his tone bored. “Here to hit me up with more of that 'fuck me or I'll dust you' crap? Honestly buddy, I'll take neither, thanks.” The monster looked irritated for a moment, but then grinned, revealing a set of broken yellow teeth.

“Nah, you don't get a choice this time. I’m just gonna dust you, now that you don’t have your Royal Guard buddy protecting you.” The monster seemed to consider for a moment. “But, now that you mention it, maybe I’ll fuck you first. Don't need your permission to do that, either.”

Papyrus felt a queasiness in his soul. Threatening to dust him was one thing, but clearly this monster had descended beyond that level of grotesque. He grimaced, lifting himself to his feet.

“Yeah pal, look, I’m really not in the mood for this, so maybe we can take a raincheck on this whole dusting business?” Papyrus was about to short-cut himself out of danger, when he felt a tugging sensation on his soul. He dropped to his knees, a heavy weight pinning him to the ground. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he grumbled. The fish monster grinned, his hand clenched into a fist as he held Papyrus to the ground using his magic.

“You’re not going anywhere, you little bitch,” it growled, and the nausea in Papyrus’ soul grew. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of red, and before Papyrus could react, the monster was pinned to the ground, a crimson spear of magic against its chest. Edge was standing over it, left eye socket ablaze. Seeing Edge, the other monster turned and tried to run, but with a simple flick of his wrist, Edge brought up a barrier of sharp bones, surrounding the monster so that it couldn’t move.

“You _vermin_ should really stick to that _fucking bar,"_  Edge snarled, and Papyrus wasn’t sure he’d ever heard him sound so menacing. The monster being pinned to the ground was staring at Edge, a look of absolute terror on its face.

“E-Edge,” it said, voice shaking, “h-hey, we were just m-messing with him, there’s no need to—” The monster gave a sharp yelp as Edge pressed the sharpened bone into its chest, a faint trickle of blood emerging from where it was puncturing its skin.

“ _That’s not what it sounded like from where I was standing_ ,” Edge growled, eye-lights sharp and intense. The monster quivered.

“P-please, h-have mercy, Edge—”

“Creatures like you don’t deserve mercy,” Edge spat, digging his spear deeper. The monster whimpered in pain.

“Edge, stop,” Papyrus warned, a dark feeling of dread settling over his soul. Edge didn’t seem to hear him, his fury focused on the monster on the ground.

“P-please, we w-won’t do it again, please—”

“No,” Edge said, coolly, “no you won’t do it again.”

“Edge, don’t!” Papyrus cried, but Edge had already plunged his weapon into the monster, impaling it. The monster gave a howl, before its soul cracked, and it scattered into dust. Papyrus stared, his own soul frozen in horror. “Edge, y-you—” Edge ignored Papyrus, turning to face the other monster, who was trembling with fear.

“P-please, don’t—”

“I’m not going to dust you,” said Edge, calmly, and the monster’s eyes went wide.

“Th-thank you, m-my lord, thank—” Edge brought up his hand, which was clasped around a small thin, crimson bone, which was sharpened like a small dagger. He then struck it across the monster’s face, and it cried out. Papyrus looked away, feeling himself cowering.

“Hm, at least you remembered your manners,” said Edge, calmly regarding the monster. He dispelled the cage of jagged bones that was trapping it, and it dropped to the ground, clutching the side of its face. “You can tell the rest of your cronies that this monster is off limits.” He indicated to Papyrus, who felt himself shaking slightly. “He belongs to me, and should any of you attempt to lay a hand on him again, you will be dusted a lot more slowly than your friend was.” The monster on the ground nodded, still whimpering. “Now, off with you, before I change my mind about letting you live.” The monster scrambled to its feet, scurrying off into the forest as fast as it could. Once it was out of sight, Edge turned to Papyrus, crouching down and holding out his hand. “Papyrus,” he said, his voice completely different from how it had been moments ago, “are you alright? Are you hurt?” Papyrus trembled, flinching away from Edge, who looked at him in surprise. “Papyrus, what—”

“Don’t come near me!” Papyrus hissed, scrambling away from Edge. Edge looked bewildered.

“Papyrus, it’s okay, they’re gone, you’re safe…” Edge trailed off at the sight of Papyrus shaking his head frantically.

“N-no, you—you killed th-that monster. I-it was so afraid, but you still… and the other one, you…” Papyrus couldn’t finish. His entire body felt as if it was shaking, and his soul felt cold with fear.

“It had to be done,” said Edge, his expression harsh. “They threatened you, I couldn’t let that monster live after that. And I had to send a message to the others. You know... you know I didn't meant what I said about you... belonging to me. It's just, they—they don't understand anything else. I had to—”

“I can’t believe I was so—so stupid.” Papyrus looked up at Edge, who seemed confused. “I thought that maybe I was wrong, th-that maybe you weren’t as bad as all the rumours. B-but…” For the first time since arriving in this universe, Papyrus did a ‘check’ of the monster before him.

**Edge**

**LV: 12**

**HP: 2400**

**ATK: 650**

**DEF: 510**

**If you’re standing this close, you’re probably already dead.**

Papyrus shuddered, a fresh wave of nausea passing over his soul. He scrambled to his feet, his back pressed against the wooden door. Edge stepped closer, his expression gentle and sympathetic. No, no! It couldn’t be, it was all a façade. Papyrus couldn’t take it anymore; this universe, the monsters that lived here, even Edge…

“Papyrus, you don’t have to be afraid. You know I would never hurt you.” Edge’s voice was soothing, and Papyrus clamped his hands against the sides of his skull, shaking his head.

“H-how can you say that? How can I know that one day you won’t get angry at me, and lash out—that you won’t kill me too?” Papyrus could feel tears prickling in his eye sockets.

“Papyrus, I could never do that!” Edge said in earnest. “I could never bring harm to you, ever.”

“How can you say that!” Papyrus cried, the tears beginning to fall freely. “After what you just did? How can you possibly say that?” Edge stared at him, eye-lights intense.

“Because—because I love you, damn it!”

Papyrus froze, staring at Edge in shock. Edge’s eyes were wide, a faint flicker of crimson magic sparking in them. Papyrus’ soul stuttered in his chest, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“You… you can’t…”

“Papyrus,” Edge said calmly, reaching his hand out and placing it on one of Papyrus’. But Papyrus pulled away.

“N-no, I—I can’t do this.” Without waiting for a response, Papyrus teleported directly into the living room back at the house. Red and Blue, who were sitting on the sofa, looked up at him in surprise.

“Papy, are you—”

“Don’t talk to me!” Papyrus snapped, hiding his face with his hand and rushing upstairs, despite his brother’s protests. He hurried into Red’s bedroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it. He slumped against it, burying his head in his hands, and let himself cry.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! The tags have been updated for this chapter, but I will be updating them again for the next chapter as well.  
> Sorry this took a little longer than normal to post, I kept rewriting it :/ But I've also finished the next chapter, which was initially going to be combined with this one, but they're both quite long so I split them into two. So I'm just proofreading the next one, then I'll be able to post it ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ  
> In the meantime, I hope you enjoy!

Papyrus didn’t leave Red’s room for almost a week. He wouldn’t even come out for meals, and Sans had to bring him his food, which he often found untouched when he returned to collect Papyrus' plate. Papyrus refused to talk to anyone, only mumbling a few words every now and then to his brother, and spending a large majority of his time sleeping. Even at night, when Sans climbed into the bed, Papyrus would turn away from him, facing the wall. Sans still did his best to try and cheer his brother up, telling him about his day, or describing the details of his trips to Waterfall with Red. Papyrus seldom said anything back to him, only nodding at the right intervals, but Sans hoped his stories cheered his brother up anyway, at least a little. But at the same time, Sans began to grow frustrated. Every day it was the same. He’d talk to Papyrus, trying to get a response out of him. He’d lie with him, just telling him stories. Sometimes he wouldn’t even say anything at all, just hoping to keep his brother company. But Papyrus never changed. He continued with his lackluster attitude, his half-hearted nods, occasional vague responses. It was beginning to wear on Sans.

Almost every night, Papyrus would toss and turn, occasionally whimpering in his sleep, and Sans knew his nightmares had returned. But whenever he woke up and Sans asked what was wrong, he would just tell him it was nothing, and roll back over, pretending to sleep. Sans’ soul ached for his brother, but he didn’t know what he could do. Edge had refused to tell either Red or himself what had happened the other day. All Sans knew was that Red had interrupted his training session with Undyne, telling them that Papyrus was missing, and teleporting them back to the house. Edge had been off in an instant, and about twenty minutes later, Papyrus had appeared in the living room, his face tear stained and his expression distraught.

Since then, there had been a sort of dreariness around the house. On top of Papyrus’ introversion, Edge was being even more abrupt than usual. For the first couple of days, he had tried to talk to Papyrus, but from the sounds that came from upstairs, and the way Edge had stormed into his bedroom afterwards, slamming the door – Sans had deduced that it hadn’t gone well.

The only person who had been acting relatively normal was Red, although there was a slight tension to his usually casual demeanour, and Sans sensed it was because of Edge's distress. But Red had been very supportive, cooking dinner with Sans every single night, returning home from his sentry duties a little earlier than usual, and waiting for Sans to wake up before leaving. Every day he would ask Sans how his brother was doing, and every day it would be the same answer, but Red never failed to give Sans a comforting hug, reassuring him it was going _tibia_ okay. Although Sans huffed every time he made the joke – especially after the seventh time – he appreciated Red’s assurances.

Things between Sans and Red had been… a little awkward. Despite having taken a couple of trips to Waterfall, Sans had still been too nervous to kiss Red again. Red was of course, very patient, but Sans still got the sense he was feeling a little dejected. Sans didn’t like that. So, one evening, about six days after the incident with Edge and Papyrus, Sans decided to pluck up his courage.

“Red?”

“Yup?”

“Can we go to Waterfall?”

Red looked up in surprise. They were sitting in front of the television, watching some strange news programme where the robot host blew things up. Edge was still at work, and Papyrus was asleep in Red’s bedroom as usual.

“Uh, yeah, sure thing bud.” Red flicked off the TV, standing up, and Sans followed him out onto the front porch, where Red took his hand. Sans’ bones tingled slightly. “Where to?”

“Um, the Echo Flowers, please,” Sans said, feeling a little nervous. Red nodded, and before Sans had a chance the blink, they were standing on the bridge over the luminescent river of water, Echo Flowers dotting the grass around them. Sans felt his spirits lift slightly, and he darted over to one of the flowers, whispering to it. He was disappointed when it didn’t whisper back, even though he tried it every time they visited.

“Heh, sorry pal. Not sure these flowers are ever gonna talk,” said Red, a hint of sadness to his voice. Sans looked up at him. He was still standing on the bridge, hands shoved awkwardly in his pockets. Sans approached him cautiously, still feeling apprehensive about what he wanted to do.

“Um, Red…” Sans could feel a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. Red looked at him.

“What is it, Blue?”

“Um…” Sans looked away, unsure how to approach the question that was tickling his mind.

“Hey, Blue, it’s alright, you can tell me.” Sans looked up to see Red smiling at him, patiently.

“Well, I, um… I’ve been thinking. And I… I want to kiss you again!” The words tumbled out of Sans’ mouth before he could stop them, and he clapped his hand over it, eye-lights going wide. But Red only chuckled, looking a little surprised.

"Ha, of course Blue. Um..." Red looked a little uncomfortable all of a sudden, and Sans squeezed his hand tighter over his mouth.

"W'don'hv'to!" he said, voice muffled.

"What?" Red asked, frowning. Sans removed his hand from his mouth, sheepishly.

"I-I said, we don't have to." He stared at his feet, blushing intensely.

"What? N-no! I want to!" Red blurted, and Sans looked up, eyes wide. Red was blushing. "Er, I mean, if you want to." Sans nodded, smiling.

"Y-yes, I do..." He hesitated for a second. "B-but, um... could we maybe... go slowly?" Red nodded, smiling.

“Of course, buddy.” He reached out a hand, placing it over Sans’, and pressing it to Sans' burning cheek bone. Sans blushed harder, looking into Red's crimson eye-lights. Red was blushing too, the bright cherry colour contrasting with the pale blue of the light around them. Red then took a step closer, placing his other hand gently against Sans’ spine. Sans felt his soul thrumming in his chest.

“B-but…” Sans stammered, and Red immediately paused, looking at Sans expectantly. “I um… I d-don’t know if I… if I…” Sans looked down once again, unable to finish his sentence.

“Hey, it’s alright Sans, we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Sans looked up, eyes going wide.

“No! I—I want to! I’m just a little, um…”

Red smiled.

“Hey, it’s okay if you’re scared. We can take it as slow as you want.” Red intertwined his fingers with Sans', giving his hand a small squeeze. Sans felt a tiny warm spark running through his fingertips. Red ran his phalanges over Sans’, then held Sans’ hand delicately in both of his own. “How about for now, I just hold your hand. Would that be okay?” Sans nodded. “Good.” Red dropped down down on the grass, and Sans sat beside him, enjoying the feeling of his own hand being cupped by Red’s slightly larger ones. They just sat like that for a few minutes, in silence, Sans listening to the gentle sound of the rushing water, the twinkling of the wisps in the air. After some time, Red finally said, “I hate to cut this short, but we should probably be getting back. It’s getting pretty dark, and Boss will be home soon, we should get started on dinner.” Sans felt a faint tingle of disappointment in his soul, but nodded.

“Okay,” he said, and Red smiled, standing up. “Red?” Red looked down at him.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Red’s smile widened, his gold tooth glinting in the pale evening light.

“Sure thing, Blue.” Sans stood up, dusting himself off, and Red teleported them back onto the front porch.

 

****

 

When they entered the house, neither Edge nor Papyrus was in sight. Sans glanced around anxiously. He was beginning to worry about his brother – truly worry. He had seen Papyrus go through slumps before, where he’d sleep a little more than usual, go a bit quiet maybe. But never anything like this. Red seemed to notice the tension Sans’ could feel in his soul, because he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, why don’t you go see how your bro’s doing? I’ll get started on dinner.”

Sans looked at Red, who was giving him a small, sympathetic smiled.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t mind helping—”

Red shook his head, waving him off.

“Nah, I’ll take care of it. Go be with Papyrus.”

Sans smiled, nodding, and Red turned and headed into the kitchen. Sans walked slowly upstairs. He’d been checking on Papyrus every day, hoping to see some sort of energy in him, a sliver of enthusiasm, _any_ kind of change at all. But there never was any. He would either be asleep, or lying awake, a blank expression on his face. Sans had also sensed a sort of dryness about him. A dull, empty aura around his soul. Sans didn’t want to sound selfish; he knew this wasn’t about him, but these past few days, being around Papyrus had made him very dreary. Seeing his brother so distant, so detached – it made Sans’ own soul feel empty. And, truth be told, he'd been avoiding his brother a bit. He’d been spending a lot more time with Red than he had with Papyrus, Red having a less draining effect on him. But the thought sent a painful aching guilt through Sans' soul. He was certain Papyrus needed company right now, Sans just didn’t think he wanted it. He didn’t know what to do. When he reached Red’s bedroom, he reluctantly pushed open the door.

“Papy?” he called quietly, into the darkness. “Are you awake?” He was met with silence. As his eye-lights adjusted to the dim lighting of the room, he saw his brother, lying on top of the covers of the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had that familiar empty look on his face, his expression unreadable. It had been so strange; for the first few hours after Papyrus had arrived home the other day, all he’d done was cry. Sans had tried to comfort him, but Papyrus had been inconsolable, shaking violently as he sobbed, his breathing sharp. But then, it was almost as if he’d flipped a switch, because he’d gone from being hysterical, to being completely emotionless. Sans wasn’t sure which of the two he hated more. “Papy, we’re going to have dinner soon, do you want to come downstairs?” Papyrus gave a small shake of his head, still staring up. Sans felt a flicker of irritation in his soul, but he quickly pushed it down, and went to sit beside his brother on the bed. “Papy, it’s been a week, you need to get out of this room.” Papyrus simply shook his head again.

“I’ve just been really tired,” he said, not looking at Sans, who frowned.

“You still need to eat. It’ll make you feel better.” Sans brushed a hand over one of Papyrus’. It felt a little cold.

“I’m fine,” was all Papyrus said in response. Deep within his eye-lights, Sans could’ve sworn he saw something flicker, but it was gone before he could be sure.

“Papy, you can’t just stay here forever,” Sans said, his irritation rising once again. Papyrus didn’t say anything, simply shrugging. “Come on, Papyrus,” Sans said, using his brother’s real name in the hopes of goading a reaction out of him. Not much to his surprise, it didn't work. "It’s been almost a week, I don’t understand what’s gotten into you.” Papyrus still didn’t say anything, but he turned away from Sans, facing the wall. Sans sighed in exasperation. “How are we supposed to help you if you won’t even talk to us?” he asked, his annoyance now clear in his tone. Papyrus still didn’t say anything, and Sans couldn’t see his expression. “Papyrus, you’re not being fair.” Still nothing. “Papyrus, this is ridiculous!” Sans snapped, and he saw Papyrus’ shoulders tense. “You’ve been hiding up here for almost a week and you won’t even tell us what’s wrong! What are we supposed to do?” Papyrus was still silent, and Sans growled, exasperated. “Mweh! You know what? I give up. You can mope around in here for all I care, but I’ve had enough of this, Papyrus. I’ve tried giving you space, I’ve tried talking to you, but you’re not even trying, so just forget it!” Sans didn’t bother waiting for the response he wasn’t going to get, and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. If Sans had stayed a few seconds longer, he may have noticed the tears which had begun to fall down his brother’s face.

 

****

 

“Well brother, spaghetti has never been your strong suit, but this isn’t half bad.”

Edge, Red, and Sans were all sitting at the dinner table, eating Red’s spaghetti bolognaise.

“Yeah, well, Blue did lend me a hand or two.”

Red glanced at Sans, his cheek bones a faint shade of cherry, and Sans gave him a small smile, feeling himself blushing. They held each other’s gazes for a couple of seconds, before Edge cleared his throat, breaking Sans out of his reverie.

“So it would seem,” Edge said, glancing between Sans and Red, his eye sockets slightly narrowed. If he noticed anything though, he didn’t comment. “So, Blue,” he said, turning to face Sans, “how is your brother?” The table fell quiet, a somber mood settling over the three of them. Edge hadn’t attempted to talk to Papyrus since the first day, but he would ask Sans the same question every night. Sans grimaced, unable to meet Edge’s gaze.

“Well, he’s…”

Silence fell again, and Edge nodded, seeming to understand. No one spoke for the next few minutes, an uneasy tension over the dinner table, the only audible sounds the clanking of cutlery against plates. Suddenly, the kitchen door opened, and they all looked up. Papyrus was standing in the doorway. He looked tired – although that was just a given, and his clothes were slightly crinkled. Sans also thought he could see a faint, transparent-orange streaks on his cheek bones, but it may have just been the lighting.

“P-Papy?” Sans said, in surprise.

“Do you… do you mind if I have dinner with you guys?” Papyrus asked, hesitantly, looking at the floor. Sans jumped up immediately.

“O-of course!” He quickly pulled out a chair for Papyrus, beside himself, indicating for him to sit. Sans dished up another plate of spaghetti from the stove, placing it in front of his brother. Papyrus nodded his thanks. They continued to eat in silence for a few minutes. Sans noticed Edge casting anxious glances at Papyrus, but Papyrus was only staring at the table, and eating very slowly. His brother’s arrival had done little to ease the awkward tension, but Sans was so surprised – and glad – to see his brother out of bed, that it didn’t bother him. After what felt like an eternity, Red broke the silence.

“So, um, Boss how was work today?”

Edge looked up at his brother, seeming grateful for a conversation topic.

“Oh, rather exhausting brother. Undyne and I had to dust at least three monsters each up in—” Edge suddenly fell silent, eyes darting briefly to Papyrus, who Sans felt tensing by his side. “Um, anyway, we’ve been rather busy recently. What about you? How was your day?” Edge was looking rather flustered, and he kept casting nervous looks at Papyrus, who had stopped eating, and was staring at his plate.

“Oh, Blue and I visited Waterfall,” said Red, and Sans was grateful that they had a more cheerful topic to talk about. Edge raised his brow bone.

“Is that so?”

“Yes!” Sans piped in, grinning. “We went to the Echo Flowers!” Red chuckled.

“Heh, yeah, Blueberry thinks they can talk.” Sans pouted at Red.

“They can!” he said, indignantly. “They’re just a bit… scared, that’s all.”

“Well, I suppose you’re right,” said Edge. “There is much to fear in this world.” Sans saw Edge’s eye-lights flicker, once again, to Papyrus, who still wasn’t looking up. Sans couldn’t believe that somehow the conversation about something as innocent as a trip to Waterfall had turned so morose. Desperate to change the subject, he turned to Edge.

“So, um, Edge, when will I be having my next training session with Undyne?” This clearly wasn’t the way to go, because Papyrus stood up abruptly, a strained expression on his face.

“Um, sorry bro, I’m feeling a bit tired, so I’m just gonna go to bed.”

“Oh. But, Papy are you sure you don’t want to stay and—”

“No, really Sans, I just, uh, I just need to get some rest. Thank you for the dinner though.” Papyrus quickly turned and left the kitchen, and Sans watched him leave, worry creeping into his soul. He had been doing so well. Sans turned back to face Edge and Red, who were both looking extremely uncomfortable, Edge’s gloved phalanges gripped firmly against the edge of the table, leaving scratch marks in the wood. Sans wondered what could possibly have set his brother off again.

A little later, Sans went to bed, finding Papyrus already asleep. He climbed in, and after a few tentative seconds, he snuggled close to Papyrus. To his surprise, Papyrus pulled him closer, holding him against his chest. Sans could just see the pale glow of his brother’s soul through his black shirt.

“I love you, Sans,” Papyrus whispered. Sans looked up at him in surprise, eye-lights wide.

“I—I love you too, Papy.”

They fell asleep like that, Sans snuggled tightly against his brother’s chest, feeling the faint, cool hum of his soul. Sans was asleep before Papyrus started crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suffering. >●⌓●<


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone  
> So I decided not to put the major warning for this chapter in the tags, as it would be a spoiler, so instead I've put it in the end notes. If you find themes relating to depression/self-harm confronting, I strongly advise that you read them!  
> Otherwise, I hope you......... enjoy?  
> ◕~◕

It was early when Papyrus awoke, Sans still wrapped in his arms. He lay still for a couple of minutes, appreciating the feeling of his little brother breathing deeply against him. Holding Sans like this, with nothing but the quiet sound of snow hitting the windowpane, Papyrus could almost pretend that everything was okay – that Sans would be okay. He closed his eyes, and let himself pretend. The gentle breathing of Sans, the quiet snowfall outside, the warmth of the bed. Papyrus could almost pretend that they were back at home – that they were safe. But of course, as soon as Papyrus opened his eyes, the fantasy slipped away, and reality set back in. After a few minutes, he carefully removed himself from Sans’ grip, climbing out of bed and quietly getting dressed. He then made his way downstairs, passing Red, who was still asleep on the couch. He glanced up at the clock, which told him it was almost six, before heading into the kitchen. But when he reached the doorway, he froze. Edge was sitting at the table, scrolling through his cell phone, a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked up when Papyrus entered, eyes going wide.

“Oh, um, sorry Papyrus,” he said, standing up quickly. “I’ll get out of your way. I was, um, just about to leave anyway.” Papyrus eyed the full mug of coffee, dubiously.

“No, it’s alright,” he said, and Edge paused. “Stay.” Edge nodded awkwardly, and sat back down, returning to his coffee. Papyrus fetched himself a bowl of honey, and sat across from Edge, eating in silence. Papyrus didn’t fail to notice the way Edge kept glancing up from his phone, before casting his eyes back down quickly when he saw Papyrus watching. After a few minutes, he stood up, putting his empty mug in the sink.

“Well, um, I should be going,” he said, avoiding eye contact. Papyrus just nodded, and after a couple seconds’ hesitance, Edge made his way to the door.

“Goodbye, Edge,” said Papyrus, and Edge turned around in surprise.

“Oh, uh, see you later Papyrus.” Something flickered in Edge’s expression for a split second, before he nodded, and left Papyrus alone in the kitchen. Once Papyrus had finished his breakfast, he went back upstairs to the bathroom, glancing at the clock in the living room on the way – a quarter past six – and decided to take a long shower. He turned the water on, stripping off his clothes and stepping under the boiling water. It was hot against his bones, almost too hot – but he didn’t mind. He stood there for a few minutes, letting his mind go blank.

His soul thumped slowly in his chest, the faint golden-orange glow of magic faintly visible beneath the steady stream of water. Papyrus gazed at it. His soul, powered by magic – the organ that kept him alive. He marvelled at it for a few moments, watching the way it pulsed faintly, emitting a dim glow. These past few days it had started to feel… heavy. Like a weight, dragging him down. But at the same time, it felt empty. Like it had no real purpose being there, other than to keep his body alive. He shook his head, picking up the bar of soap that lay in the dish against the wall. After thoroughly scrubbing himself, Papyrus stood in the water for a few more minutes, relaxing under its flow. He then climbed out of the shower, drying himself off and getting dressed.

Wiping away some of the steam, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. His eye-lights were slightly dimmer than usual, but they still let off a faint amber glow. He looked tired. More tired than he’d ever seen himself look. Faint, dark shadows were visible under his eye sockets, and his cheek bones looked gaunt, the bones almost an ashy colour. And in fact, he felt it too. A heavy exhaustion that seemed to make his bones ache, leaving an uncomfortable burden in his pale orange soul. Papyrus lifted a hand to run over his cheek. The bones felt smooth. It was strange, he’d almost expected them to feel rough – worn down. That was certainly how they felt on the inside. He looked at his hand, holding it in front of him for a moment. It was completely steady. Drawing his eyes away from his reflection, Papyrus gazed out the window. It was still snowing, gently, a few of the flakes melting against the glass.

Papyrus decided to head downstairs, finding Red now awake, sitting on the couch and watching TV. He looked up when Papyrus entered, seeming surprised.

“Oh, hey Stretch, you’re up early…” Papyrus only nodded in response. “Sleep alright?” Red asked, and Papyrus shrugged, wordlessly. He sat down beside Red, who looked at him, a faint hint of worry in his eyes. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Papyrus, plainly.

“You sure?” Red’s concern seemed to deepen, and Papyrus forced a weak smile onto his face.

“Yeah, just tired,” he said. Red frowned, but turned his attention back to the television after a few seconds. After a short while of watching TV, Papyrus glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was seven-thirty. About half an hour later, Sans came downstairs, still looking a bit sleepy.

“Mwehh, morning Papy,” he said, yawning.

“Morning, bro,” said Papyrus, watching as his brother descended the stairs. Sans plopped himself down between Red and Papyrus, leaning slightly against his brother. The three of them watched TV until about half past eight, when Red declared that it was time for him to head off to sentry duty. Sans and Papyrus sat in front of the TV alone for a little while, but Papyrus wasn’t really paying attention. He was more focused on the feeling of his brother by his side, the closeness of him, how being like this gave him a faint sense of normality. The moment quickly passed when the robot on the TV made a show of dusting some monsters in a live performance act.

Just after nine, Sans said he was hungry, and they decided to go get some breakfast. Papyrus followed him into the kitchen, watching as his brother joyfully tottered around, chatting idly about his trips to Waterfall with Red. Papyrus nodded and smiled in the right places, sitting down across from his brother once Sans had gathered up his breakfast. They sat in silence, until Sans started asking Papyrus about what he wanted to do that day. Papyrus shrugged.

“I dunno bro, up to you,” he said. Sans seemed to ponder for a moment.

“Hmm… I know! We should all go to Waterfall when Red gets back this afternoon! He says he finishes his sentry duty early today.”

“Sounds good,” Papyrus said. Sans beamed, then faltered slightly, looking at his brother with a hint of worry.

“Are you okay, Papy?” he asked. Papyrus nodded, smiling weakly.

“Yeah bro, just a bit tired.” Sans frowned slightly, holding his brother’s gaze for a moment, before returning to his breakfast. Once Sans had finished eating, Papyrus helped him clean up, before they headed upstairs, Sans eager for Papyrus to read to him.

“I know it isn’t bedtime, but it’s been so long since we’ve read a story together,” he explained as they entered Red’s room.

“I don’t mind bro, as long as it’s what you want,” said Papyrus, sitting on the bed as Sans chose a book. He ended up picking one of the human ones – something about a boy discovering that he was a wizard. Papyrus almost laughed at the irony of a human being the one to have magic, while the monsters didn’t. They read for a bit, Sans leaning over his brother’s arm to look at the pages. After a little while, Sans dozed off, and Papyrus placed the book on the nightstand, putting an arm around his brother. They lay there like that for a while, Papyrus not sleeping himself, but just savouring the moment, feeling his little brother’s soft breaths against his bones. Papyrus could hear the sound of snow hitting the window, and he felt a sense of calm flow through him, relaxing into the soft sheets of the bed. It was almost as if he could forget his troubles and anxieties, and never leave this moment. When Sans woke up, Papyrus was still lying there beside him, staring at the ceiling.

“Papy! Why did you let me sleep for so long?” he huffed. Papyrus shrugged.

“You seemed to peaceful bro, I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Well, now I’ve overslept! Oh well, let’s go have some lunch.”

They headed downstairs, and Papyrus glanced at the clock. Just after one. Sans made them each a sandwich for lunch, but Papyrus found he had little appetite.

“Sorry bro, you know I love your food… I’m just not that hungry.”

“That’s okay, Papy,” said Sans, smiling, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes. “I’ll just put it in the fridge, and you can have it later.” Papyrus nodded.

After lunch, they went back to the living room to watch TV. Red arrived home at around half past three, and Sans jumped up immediately to greet him.

“Hello, Red! We would like to go to Waterfall.” Sans beamed at Red, eye-lights twinkling. Red shrugged, looking a little tired.

“Uh, yeah, sure thing Blue, let me just go take a quick shower first though.”

Papyrus looked up.

“Couldn’t you shower when we get back?” he asked. Red gave him a strange look.

“Uh, I guess… but why?”

Papyrus quickly looked away.

“Oh, um, no reason. Don’t worry about it.” Red frowned, and Papyrus saw Sans looking at him as well, anxiously.

“Papy, are you alright?” Sans asked. Papyrus nodded.

“Just tired,” he said, the lie becoming second nature. Red and Sans were still looking at him, concern in their expressions. Papyrus quickly scrambled for a change in subject. “Um, Red, what time does Edge get back?” Red shrugged, looking surprised.

“Uh, ‘bout seven. Why?”

“Oh, no reason.” Papyrus turned his attention back to the TV, not missing the look his brother and Red exchanged. “Uh, why don’t you go have your shower Red? Then we can go.” Papyrus forced himself to smile. Red still looked a little concerned, but he shrugged.

“Alright. I’ll be down in about fifteen minutes.” Papyrus glanced up at the clock as Red headed upstairs. So they’d leave at about a quarter to four, meaning they’d get back just before five, so he’d have enough time to… okay, good. He and Sans watched TV, Sans shooting him nervous glances every few minutes. Red came back downstairs just before four. “You two ready to go?” Papyrus nodded, and Sans jumped to his feet in excitement.

“Yes, I am!” he proclaimed, hands on his hips. Red smiled at Sans.

“Alright, come on then.” Red led them outside, before taking each of their hands, and teleporting them into the small clearing of Echo Flowers, just beside the bridge under which the glowing blue water flowed. Sans immediately took a hold of his brother’s hand, guiding him over to an area where a few small shining lights were floating.

“Papy, let’s have a wisp catching contest!” He beamed up at his brother, bright blue eye-lights sparkling. Papyrus smiled down at him, fondly.

“But bro, you always beat me.”

“Well, I can’t win if you don’t play!” Sans exclaimed in exasperation. They spent the next half an hour or so chasing the tiny floating lights through the air – or at least, Sans did, Papyrus mostly watched, congratulating his brother whenever he caught one. After a while, Sans seemed to tire himself out, and opted to sit on the soft grass, idly whispering to the Echo Flowers. Papyrus watched him, a faint tingle of warmth briefly rising in his soul. He jumped slightly at the feel of someone’s hand on his arm. He turned to see Red looking up at him, a small smile on his face.

“Hey, pal, how’re you feeling?”

Papyrus frowned slightly.

“I’m okay,” he said.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, just a little—”

“Tired? Yeah, I know that excuse.” Red gave him a wry smile. “Look, I know you’re not really the ‘bare your soul’ type, but if you ever need to talk about something… well, I’ll listen.” Papyrus nodded, an uncomfortable clenching in his soul. But he quickly squashed it down.

“Thank you, Red.” Even he could hear the impassiveness in his own voice. He turned back to look at his brother, who was running his hand over one of the large petals of an Echo Flower. After a little while, Red suggested that they head back. Sans looked disappointed, but nodded. Papyrus glanced at the Echo Flowers one last time, before the world was rushing around them, and they were back on the front porch.

Once inside, Red said he’d get started on the dinner. Papyrus glanced up at the clock, which told him it was a quarter past five. He and Sans sat down, watching TV. Papyrus glanced up at the clock. Twenty past five. The snowfall outside became a little heavier, and Papyrus could hear the flakes gently pattering against the roof. Half-past five. Red came in, telling them dinner would be ready in just under an hour. Papyrus pulled Sans close, holding him. Sans gave his brother a smile, snuggling against his side. Quarter to six. Red came in and sat down, telling them he was just waiting for the stew to simmer. Six o’ clock. Red left the room to check on the dinner, and Papyrus and Sans were alone.

One minute past six.

“Hey bro, I’m gonna go work on the Machine a bit before dinner.”

Sans looked up at his brother.

“Oh, um, okay. Do you want me to come with you?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. It won’t take long.” Sans nodded, and Papyrus made his way to the door. He reached for the doorknob, then paused, standing in front of the doorway for a second. He turned back to look at his brother. “I love you, Sans.” Sans looked up in surprise.

“I—I love you too, Papy.”

Papyrus smiled, taking in his brother’s bright blue eyes, the way they sparkled, his smile, his face. His soul throbbed. He suddenly wanted to stay, to go sit back down on the couch, to pull his brother close to him, and never let go. He felt his hand shaking slightly on the doorknob.

“Papy?”

Papyrus blinked.

“S-sorry,” he said, hurriedly, coming back to himself. He gazed at his brother – one last time, committing his face to memory. “G-goodbye, Sans,” he whispered, inaudibly, before he turned, leaving the house, and closing the door behind him.

He trudged slowly through the snow, feeling the icy snowflakes hitting his bones, the cold air blowing against his face. When he reached the door to the basement, he took a deep breath, glancing around for a moment, before opening it and heading down the stairs.

When he reached the basement, he breathed in again, before walking towards the large Machine that loomed at the end of the room. He stopped in front of it, looking up at the towering mass of metal. It had a foreboding sense about it, Papyrus thought, gazing into the deep black void behind the glass. It almost seemed to beckon him forward, urging him to step into the darkness. After a few moments, Papyrus took another deep breath, and opened the glass doors.

He stood before the void, and lifted his hands, letting them hover over the glassy surface. This was the easy part, he thought. The difficult part was saying goodbye.

His mind went to his brother, sitting upstairs, watching TV. He was happy, content. Papyrus thought of the way his brother had talked to the Echo Flowers, of the way he laughed, or grumbled when Papyrus told a joke. The thought brought a small smile to Papyrus’ face.

Then he thought of his brother’s training with Undyne, how it seemed so inevitable that someday, Sans would be required to kill. He thought of how toxic this world was, how easily killing came to the creatures that lived here. Papyrus had thought that maybe they weren’t so bad – that maybe… Edge wasn’t so bad. But the way he’d seen him the other day… it had given Papyrus a glimpse of what his brother would surely become. And he was certain that now, under Undyne’s instruction, there would be no going back for Sans.

Papyrus knew about the Swapfell universe. He’d never met the Sans of that place, but he knew the stories. And he knew how he treated his brother. If that was what this universe did to his brother, Papyrus knew he didn’t have any place by Sans’ side. He couldn’t see his brother like that.

Papyrus shook his head. That was not how he wanted to think of his brother, now, in his last few minutes. He let his mind drift back to Sans’ smile, his enthusiasm, how the smallest things excited him, and Papyrus smiled, tears prickling at his eye sockets.

Papyrus’ thoughts drifted to Red. How he had been so quick to help them upon their arrival, how he had a tough exterior, but on the inside, he was kind and good. He thought of the times Red had made him laugh, and the times he’d made Red laugh, the jokes they’d shared, the jokes they’d made at the expense of each other. He thought of how Red looked at Sans, how he was always willing to go out of his way to make Sans happy, how he truly seemed to care for him.

Something suddenly jolted within Papyrus’ soul. What if he was wrong? What if there was still hope for Sans? Red was a Sans from a Fell universe. What if Sans didn’t turn into a cold, cruel killer, but a gentle, kind-hearted monster, like Red? Papyrus gritted his teeth, trying to fight back the tears in his eyes.

Then, Papyrus’ mind strayed to Edge. The way Edge looked at him. The feeling those deep crimson eyes left in his soul. The way he glared when Papyrus made a joke, but still had a hint of a smile behind his eyes. Papyrus thought of the way it felt when Edge touched him, the way he kissed him, how it felt when he touched his soul—

No.

He couldn’t think of Edge like that, not anymore.

He couldn’t erase the image of Edge, driving his spear of crimson magic, fuelled by rage and malice, right through the soul of that monster. The way his voice had been so harsh, so dangerous, so cruel. He had been unforgiving.

The Edge that had held Papyrus when he fell asleep seemed so distant, like a memory, or a fantasy. The Edge that had healed Papyrus seemed like a made-up entity, someone he’d perhaps met once, in a dream. The Edge… that had kissed him… he seemed long forgotten.

Edge had been the only thing he had been holding onto, Papyrus realised. His hope for Sans had dwindled long ago. He still loved his brother, and he always would, but Papyrus felt that he’d known, for a long time, that Sans was better off without him. But Edge…

Edge had made Papyrus feel safe. He had brought light to Papyrus’ soul, protected him from all the terrors of reality. He had given Papyrus an alternate perspective to this dark, cruel universe – a kinder perspective. He had given Papyrus hope. Hope that maybe even the most dangerous of monsters could be compassionate.

But that was gone. It hadn’t been real. It had all been a façade, a false dream.

Sighing deeply, and wiping away the tears that had begun to fall down his cheeks, Papyrus moved his hands over the glassy surface before him. He’d made up his mind, and this was it. This was the end. Breathing in, he let his magic flow, pushing at full force.

He watched as the golden-orange light pulsed from his fingertips, spreading over the surface of the void, sliding between the cracks. He pushed harder, forcing a flood of magic from his hands, its glow brighter. But it wasn’t enough. Closing his eyes, Papyrus slowly inhaled, drawing on the magic from his soul. An intense power built within him, and he opened his eyes, pushing it all out, channelling every drop he could muster into the gaping black portal that loomed before him. A bright light filled the room, almost blinding him, but he didn’t stop.

Gradually, he began to feel a strain on his soul, a faint tingling, telling him it was time to stop. But he ignored it, continuing his assault at full force, refusing to break the powerful cascade of magic that was slowly draining his soul. The tingling feeling slowly grew into an ache, his soul begging him for relief. But Papyrus pushed it down once again. He suddenly began to feel his eye sockets drooping, exhaustion taking over his body.

“N-no,” he whispered, “not yet.”

He forced his eyes open, gritting his teeth, pushing all his magic out, emptying his soul, his essence – his life-force. His eyes began to close again, his soul unable to continue powering the stream of magic and his body at the same time. But Papyrus didn’t stop. He could see the steady flow of magic growing paler, losing its essence. His vision slowly became clouded, his mind hazy, and he finally, he stopped, stepping out of the Machine.

His soul felt empty, his body weak, nothing to keep it going. Nothing to keep him alive. He closed his eyes, and let darkness take him.

 

****

 

Edge arrived home at twenty-past six, a bit earlier than he normally did. Something had been bothering him all day – the way Papyrus had acted this morning. It had been so strange, and Edge couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that hung over his soul. He’d been agitated throughout the entire day, much to Undyne’s irritation, of course. She had been reluctant to let him leave early, but had eventually conceded, telling him that he looked like he could use some rest. Edge had hurried home faster than he’d ever done before. He wasn’t sure why, but something felt wrong – a strange tugging on his soul, settling in with the uneasiness.

When Edge walked through the front door he found Blue sitting on the sofa alone, watching TV. He looked up when Edge entered.

“Oh, hello Edge, you’re home early.”

“Where is Papyrus?” Edge asked immediately, and Sans looked slightly taken aback.

“Papy? He’s in the basement, fixing the Machine.”

Edge’s soul went cold.

“He’s—he’s what?”

“Fixing the Machine,” Sans repeated, looking confused. “He just went down about twenty minutes ago.”

“You—you let him go by himself?” Edge could feel himself panicking, his breaths short. Sans looked confounded.

“Y-yes? Edge, what—”

But Edge was out the door before Sans could finish, running through the snow, throwing the basement door open, and rushing down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, his soul clenched. Papyrus was lying on the floor, just outside the Machine. He looked… Edge rushed to his side, falling to his knees, and lifted Papyrus into his arms. His eyes were closed, his face utterly white, devoid of any colour. He wasn’t breathing.

“Papyrus?” Edge choked, shaking him slightly. “Papyrus, wake up! Papyrus, please, don’t… don’t be dead.” Edge did an involuntary ‘check’ of the other skeleton, his own soul hammering in his chest.

**Papyrus**

**LV: 1**

**HP: 0**

**ATK: 1**

**DEF: 1**

**…**

Edge felt nauseous, his vision swimming.

“No…” he gasped. “N-no, no, no…” He ‘checked’ Papyrus again.

**Papyrus**

**LV: 1**

**HP: 0**

**—**

“Fuck, please, don’t… no, Papyrus, please…” Edge’s voice cracked, and he felt tears brimming in his eye sockets. Wait, but… Papyrus wasn’t dead… yet. He wasn’t dust, but he remained motionless, and Edge knew it wouldn’t be long before… Shaking off the thought, he quickly lifted Papyrus’ hoodie from his ribs, revealing his soul. He felt his breath catch.

The soul was drained, almost completely colourless, only the faintest hint of golden-orange still visible within it. Tiny, thin cracks had appeared on the edges of it.

“No,” Edge choked. “No, no, no, please Papyrus, wake up! Don’t die, don’t die, please.” Edge quickly withdrew the soul from Papyrus’ chest, wincing as the cracks began to spread. He held it delicately in his hands, which were shaking. He vaguely heard the sound of running footsteps descending the stairs behind him.

“Edge, what—” Sans’ voice was cut off by a gasp. “Papy? Papyrus?” Sans’ voice choked, his gasps becoming desperate screams. “ _No, no, no!_ Papyrus! Papyrus! No, no, please… _Papyrus!”_ Sans’ cries were something Edge would never forget. His shrieks were bloodcurdling, sending an icy shock through Edge’s soul. He briefly glanced behind him to see Red holding Sans back, arms wrapped around him. Edge turned his attention away from them, Sans’ screams ringing through his skull. He tried to tune them out, focusing on the pale soul before him.

Without further hesitation, he began to channel a stream of crimson magic into the soul. But the cracked organ remained colourless, the magic not being absorbed, simply dissipating on the smooth surface. “No, please, please work, damn it!” Edge could feel angry, desperate tears prickling at his eye sockets. Holding Papyrus’ drained soul in one hand, he used the other to extract his own soul from his chest, bringing the two heart shaped organs together. The contrast was startling, Edge’s deep crimson one glowing brightly and emitting warmth. But Papyrus’ was dim, and cold, emitting no light at all. Hands still shaking, Edge closed his eyes, trying to relax himself, and let his magic flow from his soul. The bright tendrils of magic instantly enclosed Papyrus’ soul, as if sensing its urgent need for revival.

“Please, please, _please_ work,” Edge whispered, suddenly unable to stop the tears that had begun to fall down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major warning for this chapter: Suicide Attempt.  
> Nothing graphic, but still strong themes relating to depression.


	34. Chapter 34

Papyrus opened his eyes.

Or maybe he didn’t. He couldn’t see anything. All around him it was dark. He tried to call out, but his voice didn’t seem to be working. He couldn’t move either. It felt like he was lying on his back, although he couldn’t really tell, as his sense of touch seemed to be dulled. Distantly, he thought he could hear someone crying. And there was a voice, too, whispering something to him, but he couldn’t hear what it was saying. There was a strange warm feeling in his chest, but at the same time, he felt cold. Very cold, as if ice were encasing his entire body, piercing his soul. He tried to move again, and suddenly, he was falling.

Papyrus felt as if he were sinking. A crushing weight seemed to be pushing him down, as if he were trapped underwater, unable to reach the surface. He tried to cry out, but once again, his voice seemed trapped. He tried to swim through the invisible water, the darkness closing in around him. No, no, he didn’t want to be here! He had to get to the surface, he had to swim! He pushed against the pressure that was holding him down, but it was so strong, and he felt so weak. He couldn’t keep going. He had to stop. Everything had to stop, it was too much…

Suddenly, a faint light appeared above him. It was red – bright red, and it was emitting a glow. He felt as if it were beckoning him towards it. He reached out his hand, but it was too far away to get to. So far away. But he _needed_ to get to it. He didn’t know why, it just seemed like something he needed to do. With all his strength, he pushed himself up, fighting against the invisible force holding him down. It was so heavy, he almost felt as if he couldn’t breathe. It seemed to be crushing him, crushing his chest, his soul. But he needed to get to the light. Every inch closer he got, the warmer he felt, the lighter he felt. He pushed against the darkness, reaching out, his fingertips were inches away from the ruby soul…

Papyrus woke up with a gasp, his eyes flying open.

He looked up, and was met with bright crimson eye-lights. Edge. Edge was here. He must be alright, then. His soul fluttered warmly. But, no… that didn’t seem right. Wasn’t Edge… dangerous? Papyrus couldn’t quite recall how he felt about Edge, it felt rather complicated, and his mind didn’t seem to be working. He glanced around, and saw that he was in a basement… oh yes, he remembered this basement, this was Edge’s basement… wasn’t it? He was lying on the floor, Edge holding him up. Papyrus could also see Red and… Sans… a few feet away. Suddenly he was pulled tightly against Edge’s chest, and he felt it convulsing slightly. Edge was… crying?

“Papyrus,” he heard Edge whisper, his voice shaking slightly. Suddenly, another set of arms wrapped itself around him. He could hear the faint sound of whimpers behind him.

“P-Papy, y-you’re alive!” It was Sans’ voice, and he could feel his brother sobbing against him. Alive?

“You gave us a real scare, dude,” came another voice. Red’s, Papyrus realised.

“Papyrus,” Edge whispered again, “please, please never do that again.” Do what again? Papyrus didn’t understand what was going on, or why everyone was crying. Then, suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. The Machine, bright flashes of orange and gold emitting from it. His magic. The magic from his soul. Papyrus looked down, to where his hoodie was still lifted above his ribs. His soul was there, only it was… cracked, almost broken. But it seemed to be working. How…? Papyrus looked up at Edge, his eyes going wide. Why was Edge here? Edge wasn’t supposed to be here. Papyrus pulled away from him and away from Sans, but he still felt slightly shaky.

“I’m… I’m alive,” he said, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. The other three skeletons looked at him.

“Yes, Papy!” said Sans, tears still running down his cheeks. “Edge healed you! He saved your life!” Papyrus looked at Edge, who had faint ruby tear stains on his cheeks. His eye-lights were soft, relieved, and happy.

“Edge…”

“Papyrus, you—”

“You weren’t meant to get home until seven,” Papyrus said, tone accusing. Edge looked taken aback.

“No… but I came home early.”

“N-no,” Papyrus whispered, barely audible. “You—you weren’t supposed to be here.”

“But, Papy, he saved you!” Sans was giving his brother a bewildered look. “If he hadn’t been here then you would have… you would have…”

“I would have been dead.”

“Y-yes,” Sans’ voice was small.

“I should be dead.”

“But… you’re not,” said Red, raising his brow bone. “You’re okay.” Papyrus looked at Edge, expression deadpan.

“You shouldn’t have saved me.”

Everyone in the room went still, shocked.

“P-Papyrus!” Sans squeaked. Papyrus continued to glare at Edge.

“I was ready to die, you shouldn’t have done that.”

“P-Papy, n-no, don’t say that! Stop it!” Sans cried, fresh tears falling from his sockets.

“I wanted to die,” said Papyrus, coldly, still fixing Edge with his gaze. Sans gave a whimper, but Edge remained impassive.

“Papyrus,” he said calmly, “I know that’s not true.”

“Yes,” Papyrus growled, “it is.” Edge shook his head.

“Papyrus, you’re exhausted. You need to rest. You need to let my magic run its course – otherwise it won’t heal you properly.”

“I don’t care,” Papyrus spat. “I don’t care if it doesn’t heal me, because the moment I’m alone, I’m coming back down here, and I’m doing it all over again! I don’t care what it takes, I don’t care how long it takes – I’m going to kill myself!” Sans gave a wail, and Red rushed over to him, pulling him close and hushing him. Red regarded Papyrus with a cold, angry stare.

“How can you say that? Just look at your brother, he’s distraught! How could you leave him all alone? How could you abandon us? You selfish bastard! You, you—”

“Brother, that’s enough,” Edge said, calmly placing a hand on his brother’s arm. Red glared at Papyrus for a few more seconds, before turning back to Sans, holding him tightly. Sans continued to sob, his cries muffled by Red’s jacket. Edge lifted himself from the ground, walking over to where Papyrus was sitting. Papyrus scrambled back, pulling himself to his feet. He swayed slightly, and Edge caught him by the arm, holding him steady.

“D-don’t touch me!” Papyrus spat, trying to wrench himself from Edge’s grip, but he had virtually no strength.

“Papyrus, it’s okay, you’re just in shock. You’re very fragile right now,” Edge said, voice calm but stern. “You need to let me help you.”

“Fuck you, I don’t need your help! Get away from me!” Papyrus could feel the world spinning; he was losing his balance.

“Papyrus, it’s okay, I’m here. I’ve got you.” Edge’s soothing voice floated through Papyrus’ mind in his half-conscious state. He felt himself falling, before being caught by a strong pair of arms, which lifted him from the ground.

“E-Edge…”

“I’m right here, Papyrus.”

Papyrus couldn’t struggle any longer, losing consciousness in Edge’s arms.

 

****

 

Papyrus woke up in a bed. Edge’s bed, he realised. Light was streaming in through the window, and his head throbbed painfully. He could feel someone in the bed beside him. He turned over, and saw Edge, sitting on top of the covers, reading a book. He turned to regard Papyrus with a passive expression, putting his book down.

“You’re awake,” he commented. Papyrus didn’t say anything, simply looking up at Edge, taking him in. He looked tired, dark rings under his eye sockets. But there was a different level of exhaustion to his expression, deep within his eye-lights, a strange sort of sorrow, as he regarded Papyrus. Papyrus felt his soul ache all of a sudden. Right now, in this moment, he wanted nothing more than to have Edge hold him close, to tell him it would be alright, to keep him safe. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe, his chest constricting, his soul stuttering.

“E-Edge…” he stammered, his breathing shaky.

“It’s okay, Papyrus, I’m right here.”

“N-no… why…”

Edge put an arm around Papyrus, pulling him against him. The sudden proximity sent a wave of warmth over Papyrus’ soul, but something still felt wrong…

“You’re safe, Papyrus, I’ve got you.”

“No, you… you’re…”

Papyrus’ voice was shaky, and he found he couldn’t get the remainder of the words out. He felt a painful sob rising in his chest. He felt so safe with Edge, so warm, so protected. But how could that be? He’d seen Edge dust someone right before his eyes. Edge was a killer.

“I love you, Papyrus.”

And there it was. Those words. The words that made his soul ache. That shook his very perception of this universe. He couldn’t comprehend how someone capable of such cruelty, was also capable of love. Yet, he knew that Edge wasn’t lying. That look in his eye told Papyrus that Edge was being sincere, that he was telling the truth. That he meant it.

“I… I don’t…”

“It’s okay, Papyrus.” Edge ran a hand over Papyrus’ cheek bone. “You don’t have to say it back.”

“N-no…” Papyrus wanted to say it back. More than anything, he wanted to tell Edge how he felt. But it felt wrong, it felt selfish. “I don’t… I don’t deserve it,” he whispered. “I don’t deserve you.” There were several long seconds of silence. Papyrus didn’t dare look up at Edge, afraid of what he might see. Suddenly, he was being pulled tightly against Edge, being pressed against his chest, Edge’s arms around him.

“Don’t say that,” he whispered, and his voice was stern, almost harsh. “Don’t you ever fucking say that.” Edge pulled him closer, almost painfully so, his arms pressing Papyrus into him. “You _do_ deserve it. You deserve love. Your brother’s love, my love, you deserve all of it.” Edge took a deep, shaky breath, and Papyrus could almost feel his soul pulsing through his clothes. “You might be an idiot - a selfish, stupid, reckless, self-loathing idiot. But I don’t care. If you can’t love yourself, then I’ll do it for you.”

Papyrus suddenly couldn’t hold it back any longer. Tears began prickling at his eye sockets, threatening to fall. He sobbed, gasping for air.

“Edge, I… I’m—” Papyrus choked, unable to speak. He buried his head in Edge’s chest, the tears that had started to trickle down his cheek bones staining Edge’s shirt. “I’m, so—so—” He clutched onto Edge, as if he were the only thing keeping him stable, holding him there. “I’m so sorry, Edge,” he cried, the tears suddenly falling freely. “I’m so sorry, I… I shouldn’t have—I can’t believe I… I—”

“It’s okay, Papyrus,” Edge whispered, soothingly, “I know. I know you didn’t want to die.”

“I—I did, I wanted to… I…” Papyrus broke off, feeling Edge drawing in a sharp breath, his hand coming to the back of Papyrus’ skull, lifting him so that he was looking into Edge’s eyes.

“No, you didn’t.” Edge’s voice was firm, determined. “If you had truly wanted to… to die, I wouldn’t have been able to heal you.” Edge lifted Papyrus’ hoodie, revealing his cracked soul. “But you’re alive.”

“B-but… how…”

Edge looked pained for a moment, before he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“When I first tried to heal you, it wouldn’t work. Your soul it… it wouldn’t accept my magic. I-I thought it was too late…” Edge trailed off, looking distant. “But then—then it did. Your soul started taking my magic in. It… it started to regain life. And you… you woke up.” Papyrus suddenly remembered the glowing red light, how he’d felt that nothing was more important than reaching it.

“Y-your soul…” Papyrus breathed. “I saw your soul…” Papyrus buried his face in Edge’s chest once again, wanting nothing more than to feel the warmth of his crimson soul. To feel it holding him, healing him, protecting him. The soft, ruby glow, the thing that had saved him… saved him from death. "You... you brought me back to life."

“Papyrus, please don’t… please never… please never leave me again.” Edge’s voice sounded broken, desperate. Papyrus looked into Edge’s eyes, where tears had started to form. Papyrus had never seen Edge cry before. He’d never thought Edge was capable of it.

“I... I promise,” he whispered, “I promise you, Edge, I won’t… I’ll never…” Papyrus leaned his head against Edge’s chest, wanting nothing more than for Edge to keep him safe. He didn’t want to be afraid anymore. He was tired, he was _so_ tired. Tired of everything. But at the same time, he didn’t want to lose it. He’d been so close – so close to losing this. The feeling of Edge’s arms around him. He’d been so close to losing his brother… Sans.

“M-my brother,” Papyrus choked, remembering what he’d said to Sans. “Oh… oh god, I told him… I told him that I…” Edge hushed him, running a hand over the side of his face.

“He wanted to be the first to know when you woke up,” Edge said. “He loves you, Papyrus.”

“H-how could I do that to him?” Papyrus stuttered. “How could I leave him behind? H-how could I…I…” Edge squeezed Papyrus against his chest, so close that Papyrus could feel the gentle pulse of his soul through his shirt.

“I’ll go get him.” Papyrus clung onto Edge, worried that if he let go, he might start falling, and never be able to hold him again. Edge gently pried Papyrus’ hands off of him, holding him at eye level. “You’ll be okay, Papyrus.” Papyrus stared at Edge for a couple of seconds, not wanting him to leave. But, he eventually managed to let go, his soul aching as Edge climbed off the bed. He turned to look at Papyrus when he reached the door. There was a strange, anguished expression on his face. “I… I love you,” he whispered, before disappearing from sight.

 

****

 

After what felt like hours of lying there, all alone, Papyrus heard footsteps approaching. He looked up in time to see the door opening, revealing Sans, his little brother. Papyrus remembered the memory of Sans he’d had – the memory he'd thought would be his last. His little brother, smiling, his blue eye-lights sparkling. And suddenly, Papyrus was so grateful that he’d lived. So grateful that he could see Sans now, even though the look on his face made Papyrus feel as if his soul had cracked in two. Even though Sans looked more heartbroken than he’d ever seen him before.

“P-Papy…”

Papyrus stared at him, his soul clenching in his chest. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe, tears swimming in his eyes.

“S-Sans, I…”

There were a few moments when neither of them said anything. Papyrus could only stare at his brother, whose hands were trembling slightly, fiddling with his blue bandana. His starry blue eye-lights were swimming with tears, and suddenly, Papyrus couldn’t take it anymore. He lifted himself into a sitting position, ignoring the faint throbbing in his head, and pulled himself off the bed. He was about to start walking towards his brother, when he felt a pair of arms wrapping around his waist. He looked down to see Sans, burying his head against him, sobbing.

“Papy, please—don’t—don’t leave me!”

Papyrus felt his own tears springing forward, running down his cheek bones. He gasped for breath, throwing his arms around Sans, pulling him close.

“I promise, Sans… I—I promise, I’ll n-never… never…” Papyrus couldn’t go on, his words caught in a choked sob. He squeezed his brother against him, and suddenly, he felt safe. He felt as if Sans was safe. Here, like this, in his arms, it felt as if all of his worries were for nothing. Sans was okay, he was here with him.

“Papy, you c-can’t—can’t… I love you.” Sans’ voice broke, his breath coming in short hiccoughs. “I love you s-so much, Papy… you can’t… you can’t leave me, please, I…”

“No, Sans,” Papyrus whispered, his voice firm. “Never. I—I won’t. I l-love you, Sans. I love you.”

Sans and Papyrus held each other for what could’ve been hours, silently sobbing against each other. Papyrus’ soul ached, urging him that the best option was to stay like this forever, close to his brother, hugging him, keeping him safe. Safe from all the evils of this universe, safe from the human, safe from… Papyrus’ soul clenched, and he hugged Sans tighter. But he also wanted Sans to keep him safe, to be there for him, to hold him close, to reassure him that there was still good in the world.

Papyrus didn’t notice that Sans was gone until he suddenly realised that he was lying on the bed, his eyes drifting closed. He looked up to see Edge standing in the doorway. In his subconscious state, Papyrus could’ve sworn there were tear stains on Edge’s cheek bones. But there was something else, too. There was an almost pained expression on Edge’s face, as if something was bothering him. But Papyrus’ eyes were closed before he could properly tell.

“I love you, Papyrus,” he heard Edge whisper, as he drifted off.

“I love you too, Edge.” Papyrus wasn’t sure if he’d said it out loud, but it didn’t matter, because he knew it was true. He fell asleep in Edge’s arms, and for the first time in a week, he felt peaceful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn it! I promise things are going to get happier!  
> ...... maybe.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter yet, so I hope you like it! ◠﹏◠✿

For the next two weeks, Edge didn’t leave Papyrus’ side. Not even when Undyne’s angry texts became angry phone calls. Not when he slept, not when he ate, not even when he showered. Edge would hover over him while he was getting dressed, pull out his chair for him when he was sitting down to eat, sit beside him on the couch while he watched TV, pulling him close.

Papyrus’ soul had been recovering quickly. Every day it seemed to glow a little brighter, regaining its essence, powering his life-force. It still bore the faint cracks that had appeared upon his ‘death’ – and Edge figured they would never fully heal. But Edge had noticed something strange about Papyrus’ soul. It was still its usual golden-orange colour, but there was a faint, crimson glow – barely noticeable, unless it was very dark, and its light illuminated the room. The glow slowly began to fade as the days passed, leaving behind its normal amber light. But still, somehow, when he and Papyrus were alone, just lying there in silence, Edge could almost feel Papyrus’ soul within his own. Like a distant echo, telling him Papyrus was close, that he was safe.

As Papyrus’ soul slowly began to regain its energy – so too, did Papyrus. It was a very slow process. For the first three days, he had stayed in bed, either Sans or Red bringing food, Edge not leaving Papyrus’ side. On the fourth day, he had taken a shower. Edge had waited patiently for him to finish, averting his eyes. Once he’d finished, Papyrus had returned to the bed, sleeping for the remainder of the day. On the fifth day, Papyrus had gone downstairs. Sans and Red hadn’t been home, so he and Edge had just watched TV together on the couch. At first, they'd been sitting apart, on either side of the sofa. But after a little while, Edge had found that their distance made him uncomfortable, so he'd shuffled closer, and pulled Papyrus against him. He'd been able to feel the steady thump of the other skeleton's soul, resonating through his own. After a while, Papyrus had fallen asleep, and Edge had carried him back to his bedroom.

Later in the evening, Papyrus had woken up, and asked if they could have dinner with their brothers. Edge had been surprised, but had agreed, glad to see him moving around a bit. Papyrus had been silent throughout dinner, but Edge could tell that he felt calm. It sent a relaxing wave over Edge’s own soul.

On the sixth day, Papyrus had woken up early, and Edge had already been gazing at him, appreciating the smooth lines of his face. It had been a little strange, Edge had hardly slept during these two weeks, finding that he was seldom tired. But Papyrus had been sleeping a lot, which, Edge supposed, was understandable. Nonetheless, it did strike him as slightly odd. But he shook off this feeling, simply opting to enjoy his time with Papyrus, how it felt when he was close, the faint echo of his soul.

“Good morning,” Papyrus had greeted.

“It is now,” Edge had responded, and that had been the first time he’d seen Papyrus smile in two weeks. It had also been the first time Papyrus had used sarcasm in two weeks.

“Ugh, that was so romantic, I think I just threw up a little.”

Later that evening, just before it had started getting dark, Papyrus had asked, “Edge? Can we sit outside?” Edge had looked at him in surprise, and had felt Papyrus’ soul thrumming in anticipation.

“Of course, Papyrus,” he’d said, and they had sat together on the bench on the front porch, nothing but silence between them. It was strange, Papyrus and Edge had barely spoken to each other that entire week, yet somehow Edge felt as if he constantly knew what the other skeleton was feeling. After a little while, Papyrus fell asleep, his head resting in Edge’s lap. Edge had stayed there like that, hand clasped around Papyrus’, running his phalanges over the rough bones of the other’s fingers. When Red and Sans had arrived home, they’d been surprised to find Edge and Papyrus outside.

“How long have you been out here, Boss?” Red had asked.

“About an hour.”

“Wanna come inside?”

Edge had shaken his head, and Red and Sans had exchanged a strange look, before heading indoors, leaving Edge and Papyrus alone once again. Edge hadn’t minded that it was cold, or that it was getting dark. He had been able to feel the warmth of the other skeleton’s soul, permeating through his bones. He had never felt more relaxed in his life. Edge had known Papyrus was awake before he’d opened his eyes, sensing it in his soul.

“Edge?”

“Hmm?” Edge’s eyes had been closed, simply enjoying the feeling of Papyrus against him.

“Shouldn’t we go inside? It’s snowing.”

Edge had been surprised when he’d opened his eyes and seen small snowflakes falling, gently landing on his bones.

“Are you cold?” he had asked.

“A bit, yeah.”

Edge had frowned. It had been so strange – he hadn’t felt cold at all. In fact, he’d felt rather warm, as if there was a blanket wrapped tightly around him. But he hadn’t wanted Papyrus to feel any discomfort, so they’d gone inside.

The next morning, on the seventh day of the week, Edge had gone downstairs with Papyrus, and they’d eaten breakfast with Sans and Red. The other two skeletons had seemed a little on edge, constantly glancing between Edge and Papyrus, as if expecting some disastrous event to suddenly occur. But Edge hadn’t minded. He’d felt completely at ease, able to sense the proximity of Papyrus’ soul right beside him.

Sometime during the second week after Edge had saved Papyrus, they’d all visited Waterfall together. Red and Sans had gone off to the area where the tiny wisps were floating, but Edge had insisted that Papyrus stay with him, not wanting to lose the calm feeling Papyrus' presence brought over his soul. They’d been sitting on the grass together, Edge almost half-asleep, the feeling of Papyrus against him the only thing that he was concerned about. But, after a little while, Papyrus had started to grow fidgety. He’d begun shifting in Edge’s grip, as if he couldn’t get comfortable. Suddenly, Edge had felt Papyrus detaching himself from his arms. Edge had looked up at him, feeling a small flutter of panic deep within his soul.

“Is something wrong?” he’d asked.

“No, I’m just going to go talk to Red and Sans for a bit,” Papyrus had said, looking a little nervous. Edge hadn’t liked that expression.

“I’ll come with you,” he’d said, not eager to leave Papyrus’ side. Papyrus had given him a faint smile.

"Right. Sure."

On the sixth day of the second week, Papyrus had suggested Edge go back to work.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Papyrus,” he’d said. “You’re far more important.”

“But what about you?” Papyrus had asked. “Don’t you miss it? I know how much your work means to you.”

“You mean more,” Edge had said. “And besides, I’m okay. I’m with you.” Edge had smiled, pulling Papyrus close to him. Papyrus had frowned slightly, but hadn’t pursued the issue.

It had now been exactly two weeks since the night of Papyrus' suicide attempt, and Edge was sitting at the table in the kitchen next to him. They were eating breakfast with Sans and Red this morning. Edge could sense a strange tension at the table, but somehow, he felt completely calm, his chair pushed right up next to Papyrus’, feeling the other skeleton against him. He didn't fail to notice the way Red and Sans kept exchanging glances, but it didn't bother him—at least, it didn't bother him until he noticed Papyrus giving Red a deliberate look, worry creasing his brow bone.

“Papyrus?” he asked. “Is something wrong?” Papyrus looked at him, expression still slightly reserved.

“Um, no, nothing.” But Edge could sense a sudden apprehensiveness about Papyrus, and he took his hand in his own, looking deeply into his eye-lights.

“Tell me.”

Papyrus frowned slightly, casting a quick glance over at Sans and Red, who nodded. Edge looked at them in confusion. What was going on?

“Um, Edge, the thing is… uh… well, I was wondering if it would be alright if I spent some time with Sans and Red today?” Papyrus looked nervous, which sent a jolt of anxiety through Edge’s own soul.

“Of course,” he said, confused as to why Papyrus had been anxious to ask him this question. “We can go to Waterfall again if you’d like? Or we could…” Edge trailed off, seeing Papyrus shaking his head.

“Um, actually… I was wondering if I could spend some time with them… alone.” Papyrus looked away quickly, seeming troubled.

Oh.

“You… you don’t want me there?” Edge could hear the hurt in his own voice. A sudden gloom seemed to shroud his soul. Papyrus looked up, quickly, shaking his head.

“N-no, it’s not that it’s just…”

“Boss,” Red interrupted, “you haven’t left his side for two weeks. Don’t you think it’s time you two, I dunno? Spend some time apart?” Red was giving his brother a concerned look, and Edge saw Sans wearing the same expression.

“Well… I’ve just been looking after him.” Edge felt an uncomfortable clenching in his soul. “I don’t see why that’s a problem.”

“It isn’t!” Sans piped in. “But…”

“But it’s been two weeks, Edge,” said Papyrus. He was looking at Edge in earnest. “I’m honestly doing a lot better, and it has largely been because of you. But the truth is…um, well…” Papyrus looked away again, and Edge could sense a faint feeling of guilt emitting from his soft amber soul.

“Boss, you’ve gotta give him some space,” Red finished for Papyrus.

“Oh,” said Edge, not failing to hide his dejection. “No, of course, I understand.”

“You do?” Papyrus asked, looking up tentatively.

“Yes, yes, of course.” Edge waved him off, but failed to meet Papyrus’ eye. Papyrus smiled.

“Thank you, Edge.” He took Edge’s hand in his own, and gave it a tight squeeze, the contact making Edge’s soul flutter.

After breakfast, Sans and Red offered to clean up, and Edge went upstairs with Papyrus, to his room. They sat on the bed for a while, not talking. Papyrus was sitting a few inches away from Edge, hands crossed in his lap, fidgeting. Edge looked at him and felt a strange yearning in his soul. Despite being right beside him, their lack of contact made Papyrus feel entirely too far away. He could feel the faint thrumming of Papyrus’ soul – almost as if it were in his own chest, alongside his own soul. At length, Edge spoke.

“Papyrus… are you sure you don’t want me with you today?” He felt his soul fluttering nervously at the prospect of being away from Papyrus for so long.

“I’ll be fine, Edge,” Papyrus said, smiling. “I promise.” He ran his hand over Edge’s, and the contact sent a wave of calm over Edge. But there was still an uncomfortable sense of unease deep within him.

“Papyrus…” Edge’s voice was faint.

“What is it, Edge?”

Edge sighed, looking away.

“What if… what if I come home and you’re… you’re…” He trailed off, his voice small.

Papyrus’ eye sockets widened, and he pulled Edge into a tight embrace. Edge’s soul stuttered at the sudden contact, then grew warm, relaxing.

“I won’t, Edge.” Papyrus’ voice was earnest. “Never again, I promise.” Edge leaned his head against Papyrus’ shoulder, wanting nothing more than to hold him like this forever. He stayed wrapped in Papyrus’ arms for a few minutes, the feeling of the other skeleton’s soul radiating through his chest. Eventually, Papyrus drew back, and Edge felt his soul falter slightly at the loss of their closeness. “I have to go now. But you’ll be alright, won’t you?”

Edge nodded, but he didn’t really feel it. Damn it, he cursed himself. He shouldn’t be the fragile one right now. Papyrus was the one who had suffered, who needed to heal. But somehow, Edge had managed to make this about himself. He hated feeling like this - weak, needy, helpless.

“Well, if you’re not going to be here, then I might as well go to work,” he said, grimacing slightly at the thought of seeing Undyne after he’d been ignoring her texts and calls for so long. Papyrus nodded, smiling.

“Good,” he said. “It’ll be nice for you to work again.” Papyrus seemed to consider for a moment. “Wow, I can’t believe I just used the words ‘nice’ and ‘work’ in the same sentence.” Edge smiled, but his soul ached at the idea of not being able to see Papyrus for so long - to not have the feeling of his soul, pulsing through his chest, to not have him pressed against Edge, safe, warm, comforting him. Papyrus stood up, letting go of Edge’s hand. “I’ll see you later,” he said. “I promise.” He walked towards the door, and Edge called out, just before he opened it.

“I love you, Papyrus.”

Papyrus turned, looking slightly surprised, but then he smiled.

“I love you too, Edge.”

And with that, he was gone, leaving an empty pit in Edge’s soul.

 

****

 

“You ready to go, Stretch?”

Papyrus had just descended the stairs; Sans and Red were waiting for him in the living room.

“Yeah,” he said. “I just… I feel bad about leaving Edge behind. You know he seemed pretty upset about it.” Red waved him off.

“Eh, don’t worry about him, he’ll be fine. He’s probably just still kind of in shock about the whole… um, y’know?” Red’s expression darkened slightly, and Papyrus felt his soul give a twist of guilt. Red was the only one who hadn’t seemed to have forgiven him for what he’d done. They’d spoken a bit, but Red had always seemed a little… distant. Their conversations had been awkward and formal. Papyrus figured the only reason Red had bothered staying polite was because Edge was always hovering by Papyrus’ side. Maybe now would be a good opportunity to talk to him.

“Hey, Red, um…”

“Let’s get going,” Red said, stiffly, and Papyrus saw something flash within his eye-lights. Papyrus winced inwardly, and nodded, looking away.

“Yes, Papy, let’s go!” said Sans, who had just scampered over to them. He was beaming. “It’s been so long since we’ve had some time alone.” Papyrus smiled down at his brother, and Sans took his hand, leading him outside, Red following behind. Once they were on the front porch, Red took a hold of Sans’ hand, and teleported them to their usual spot in Waterfall. When they landed, Papyrus felt a faint twinge of something within his soul – like a very faint itch. But it disappeared quickly, and he figured it must have been nothing. Sans immediately scampered off to where the wisps were dancing through the air, leaving Red and Papyrus standing alone.

“So, Red, I—”

“So, what’s up with my bro?” Red interrupted, quickly, cutting Papyrus off. “Why have you two been so attached at the hip recently?” Red sounded nonchalant, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

“Um, I don’t know, I guess he just wants to… take care of me.” Papyrus did his best to sound unfazed, but in truth, Edge’s behaviour had been worrying him as well. He had been rather anxious to ask Edge if he could spend some time away from him today, not sure how he'd react. Red frowned slightly.

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” he asked. “You know what my bro’s like – affection and support isn’t really his thing.” Papyrus shrugged.

“I don’t know about that… he is pretty good at healing, maybe it’s just—a side-effect… or something like that.”

“Being obsessed with you is a side-effect of saving your life? Hm, nah. I don’t think so, Stretch.” Papyrus could sense the bitterness in Red’s tone.

“Well what do you think it is?” Papyrus asked.

“Well—I don’t know, I’m not the resident expert on all matters ‘suicide’ – that’s more your thing, isn’t it?” Red cast Papyrus a challenging look, causing him to wince slightly.

“Red, look…”

“I just think it’s weird, you know?” Red went on, his voice wavering slightly. “Surely when you’re super depressed or whatever, ya reach out for help? Especially when someone offers it to ya. I mean, sure, Stretch, your life sucks, I get it. You’re stuck in a shit universe with shit people—and yeah, you’re worried about your brother. But maybe it’s not all about you – maybe there are people who need ya, did ya think about that before you decided to fucking _off yourself?”_ Red’s eye-lights were intense, his teeth gritted, the gold one flashing in the pale light.

“Red, please—”

“You waited, Papyrus. You _waited.”_

“What?" Papyrus asked, confounded. "What are you—”

“You waited until I left the room, because you knew, _you knew_ that I would try and stop you.” Red was shaking with anger, a faint flicker of crimson in his left eye socket. “And you—” Red took a deep breath, as if composing himself. “You took advantage of your brother’s naivety. His innocence. You knew he wouldn’t _possibly_ think that you going to do something as simple as fixing the Machine would equal you trying to commit _suicide._ But of course, _now_ he knows. And how do you think that makes him feel?” Red was holding Papyrus’ gaze, his fists balled at his sides. _“How_ do you think he would feel _if you had succeeded?”_

“Red, I didn’t—”

“He’s been beating himself up for the past two weeks, blaming _himself,_ for what _you_ did!” Red was seething now, crimson magic sparking in his eye-lights. Papyrus’ soul felt heavy, his words stuck.

“I-I didn’t… I didn’t mean—I thought Sans would be better off without me,” he stammered, his voice small. Red gave a dry, sarcastic laugh, and Papyrus felt himself cringe at the sound.

“Ha, that’s rich. You thought your brother would be better off without ya? The _one person_ he cares about? The _only_ one who’s been there his whole life? You thought Sans would be better off _without his own brother?”_ Red scoffed. “God, you’re delusional.”

“R-Red, I didn’t—”

“You know what Papyrus? Fuck you. You’re so selfish. Ya think that you’re the only one with problems? Sans is stuck here too. And me and my bro? We’ve been stuck here _our whole fucking lives!_ Ya think we’d kill ourselves just because we’re afraid of getting a little dust on our hands? You’re so lucky my brother was there to save you. I don’t know if you deserved it, but Sans did. He doesn’t deserve to live without ya.”

Papyrus could only stare at Red, who was regarding him with a dark expression, eye-lights still bright. He could feel Red’s words stinging through his soul – not because they were harsh, but because they were true. He knew that he’d been selfish, that he hadn’t thought of his brother – not properly, at least. And he also knew how lucky he’d been, that Edge had been there to save him.

“You… you’re right, Red,” Papyrus said, voice barely a whisper. “I am selfish. I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have tried to—to leave Sans.” Papyrus almost choked on his words, feeling tears brimming in his eye sockets. “And… and I know how—how lucky I am that Edge was there. B-but I can’t— _do anything_ to take it back. I can’t undo the mistake I made, and it’ll stay with me forever. But… I wanted to die. I-I did. I d-don’t know why… I just… everything seemed… t-too much.” Papyrus paused, taking a deep breath. He couldn’t look Red in the eye, feeling the tears beginning to fall down his cheek bones. “But now… now I don’t. And m-maybe I deserve a second chance—maybe I don’t. But th-this time… I’m not going to try and leave my brother again. I—I know that—that he isn’t better off without me. Even if he—he—” Papyrus broke off, choking on a sob. To his surprise, he felt Red place a hand on his shoulder.

“Okay, hey, maybe I was a bit too harsh when I said you didn’t deserve to be saved.” He ran his hand over Papyrus’ shoulder, soothingly. “But ya know… Edge and Blue weren’t the only ones you were leaving behind.” Papyrus looked down at Red in surprise. His voice had been slightly strained, and his expression was melancholy – almost hurt.

“R-Red, I’m sorry. I—I didn’t—”

“Hey, it’s okay, bud.” Red gave him a weak smile. “Y’know, you may be a dumb bastard, but no one appreciates my _fibula-_ s puns like you do. So I’d appreciate it if you stuck around.” Papyrus chuckled, wiping his eyes.

“Yeah well, I can’t help it, they are pretty _humerus.”_ Red grinned, then glanced over at Sans, who was stumbling through the grass on the other side of the bridge.

“Look after your brother, Paps,” he said, watching as Sans tripped over, almost landing face first on the grass, before jumping up, dusting himself off, and chasing after another wisp. “He deserves it.”

“I know,” said Papyrus, his soul clenching slightly. “And Red?” Red glanced up. “I—I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have…” Red waved him off.

“Eh, forget about it. I’m still pissed at ya though.” He gave Papyrus a glare, but it lacked any real malice. “Just don’t do it again, ‘kay?” Papyrus nodded.

“You got it. No more killing myself. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Red snorted.

“I dunno, you’re still a one HP weakling—let’s just hope you don’t accidentally trip over your own feet or something, it could kill ya.”

“Story of my life, pal.”

Just at that moment, Sans came scampering over. He was looking a little disgruntled, a smudge of dirt on his face and shirt. One of his hands was balled into a fist, a faint glow emitting from it.

“Well, the wisps were rather cheeky today!” He grumbled, trying to rub the dirt off his shirt. “But, perseverance is key! I managed to catch one!” Sans opened his fist a crack, revealing a faint glowing light.

“Nice one, bud,” said Red, grinning. “Are you gonna make a wish?” Sans pouted.

“Mweh, Red! You know that wishes are only for the Wishing Room!”

Papyrus raised his brow bone.

“The Wishing Room?”

Sans looked up at his brother, eye-lights gleaming.

“Yes, Papy! Red and I visited the Wishing Room, and then he wished that I would kiss him!” As soon as the words had left Sans’ mouth, he clapped a hand over it, the little wisp escaping, and his eye-lights going wide. But Papyrus only chuckled.

“And did you?” he asked, a small smirk on his face. Sans’ eye-lights went even wider, the stars within them flickering.

“W-what! I—I—”

“Heh, don’t worry bro, Red already told me about it.”

Sans turned to Red in shock, glaring.

“You—you told him? Red! You promised you wouldn’t!”

Red’s cheek bones had gone slightly crimson, and he was looking guilty.

“H-hey, he cornered me!” Red gave Papyrus a dark look, only causing him to grin wider.

“P-Papy,” Sans stammered, “I-I’m so sorry! I—”

“Hey, Sans, it’s alright.” Papyrus brought a hand to rest on Sans’ shoulder. Sans’ eye-lights were wide as he stared up at his brother.

“You—you’re not mad?” he asked.

“Of course not, bro,” said Papyrus, smiling down at Sans. “As long as you’re happy.”

“I—I...” Sans stuttered, glancing at Red, a faint cyan blush on his cheek bones.

"Don't worry, bro. Red may be a moron, but that means that you get to be the smartest one in the room when you're having alone time."

Sans' eyes widened, and he shot a panicked glance at Red, who was blushing profusely.

“Sh-shut up, asshole,” he grumbled, staring at the floor, but Papyrus could see a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Sans looked up at Papyrus, and his eye sockets narrowed suddenly.

“Papy, are you okay? You look like you’ve been… crying.” Papyrus quickly wiped away the tear stains on his cheek bones, and nodded.

“Oh, no… um, don’t worry about it bro, I’m fine.” Papyrus flinched in surprise as Sans suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Don’t worry, Papy!” he cooed, squeezing his brother tightly. “It’s going _tibia_ okay!” Papyrus and Red stared at Sans, who pulled away, looking slightly sheepish, a faint blush on his cheeks. Papyrus turned to Red, raising his brow bone.

“Looks like you’re _rib_ bing off on him, heh.”

Sans gave a groan of exasperation.

“Mweh! Don’t you two start now—”

“Heh, well, I _mustard_ done something right,” Red said, grinning. Papyrus frowned.

“Really, dude? You had to bring mustard into this? You didn’t even bother spending time _cumin_ up with another one.”

“Yeah, _honey,_ I just never _mustard_ up the courage.”

“Maybe next _thyme_ you should—”

“Enough, enough!” Sans cried, clapping his hands over the sides of his skull. “Ugh! You two are a disgrace, I regret trying to cheer you up with that foolish pun, Papy!” He glared at Papyrus, who couldn’t help but chuckle. He could also hear Red snickering. “Stop laughing!” Sans scolded, and both Red and Papyrus immediately shut their mouths. Papyrus could still see Red struggling to stifle his laughter, a hand over his mouth. “Let’s just go home! You two are the worst!” Sans defiantly took a firm hold of Papyrus and Red’s hands, pouting.

_“Bone_ voyage,” said Red, and Papyrus only just caught a brief glimpse of Sans’ expression before the world was spinning around them. When they landed, Sans grumbled something about needing some time away from ‘you two and your intolerable puns’, and stormed into the house. Red and Papyrus followed, and Papyrus saw Sans marching up the stairs.

“Love you, bro,” he called, and Sans paused for a moment, turning to glare at Papyrus. But as he disappeared up the remainder of the stairs, Papyrus was sure he heard him grumble ‘love you too, Papy,’ and he smiled to himself. Once Sans was gone, he and Red flopped down on the couch, turning on the TV. After a little while, Papyrus turned to Red, a question on his mind which had been bothering him since earlier that morning.

“So, um, Red. What were you gonna say when we were discussing, um, you know, your brother being all… clingy?” Red looked up, raising his brow bone.

“Dude, ‘clingy’ is a bit of an understatement,” he said, deadpan.

"Well... you know what I mean," said Papyrus. "I get that he's been... attached. But..."

Red sighed, frowning.

“Okay, look dude, this is kind of weird to talk about with you, but I mean, think about it. He hasn’t left your side _for two weeks_. Not when you’re asleep, not when you’re awake – not even when you’re in the shower for crying out loud.” Red sounded incredulous, but he looked concerned.

“Well, I mean… I did nearly die,” Papyrus said, quietly. “Maybe he’s just… a little overprotective?”

Red shook his head, frowning.

“Nah, Boss, he… he’s never been like this. He’s normally so—so stoical, detached. Nothing really gets to him. But this—it’s like an obsession. He hasn’t gone to work in two weeks. _Two weeks,_ dude _._ My brother has probably only missed maybe, two days of work in his entire life. And I’ve seen the way he’s always touching you,” Red added, giving Papyrus a strange look, and Papyrus frowned.

“Touching me?” he asked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean like, every three seconds he has to hold your hand or brush his arm against yours or something,” Red explained. “And if you get too far away he gets this look in his eye, like he’s in pain or something. I'm telling you, Stretch, it’s weird.”

Papyrus let Red’s words sink in, feeling a little taken aback. Sure, Edge had been with him a lot, but he’d just been worried about losing him… right? Papyrus frowned to himself. Come to think of it, he had been feeling a little… smothered, although he’d never admit it. And while he hadn’t really minded Edge’s constant touches, and the way he always pulled him close, it did actually seem a little strange for the rough skeleton, now that he thought about it. Edge certainly wasn’t the touchy feely type.

Red also had a point about the odd, pained expressions Edge often got when he wasn’t close enough to Papyrus. He’d noticed it today—when he’d been saying goodbye to Edge at the door. There had been a dark intensity to the other skeleton’s eye-lights, almost as if he were straining himself. It was certainly odd.

“Well, hopefully he gets past it,” said Papyrus. “He probably will after we spend some time apart and he realises I’m okay.” Red nodded.

“Yeah, let’s hope so. I’d like to have a conversation with my brother again sometime.”

Papyrus grimaced, feeling a little guilty.

“Uh, sorry,” he said. Red waved him off.

“Nah, no big deal, bud. To be honest, I think my brother kinda likes you, so… whatever.” Red drifted off, looking a little embarrassed, and Papyrus smirked. Just at that moment, Sans came rushing down the stairs, Red’s phone in his hand. Papyrus and Red looked up in surprise – Sans was looking a little frantic.

“Blue, what—”

“Um, Red, it’s Undyne. She wants to speak with you immediately!” Sans held out the phone, and Red took it hesitantly, frowning slightly.

“Undyne? Yes…” Red stood up, wandering into the kitchen, leaving Sans alone with Papyrus.

“Hey bro, how have you been lately?” Papyrus asked, looking at his brother earnestly. “I know we haven’t… spent much time together, and… I’m sorry.” Sans shook his head, smiling.

“It’s no bother, Papy. I know you and Edge have been… er, busy.” Sans looked away for a moment, seeming embarrassed.

“Heh, so you’ve noticed his, uh… clinginess as well, huh?”

“Well… I mean, a little bit, yes.” Sans fidgeted with his shirt, seeming a little uncomfortable. “But… but it’s okay! I mean, he almost lost you, so…” Sans trailed off, his voice going quiet, and Papyrus felt a guilty pang in his soul.

“Well… you almost did too, Sans,” Papyrus said, softly, taking his brother’s hand. “And… and I’m sorry, Sans. I… I know I said it before, but… but I really am. I should never have tried to leave you.” Papyrus could feel the familiar sensation of tears, prickling in his eye sockets. Sans’ starry blue eye-lights seemed to be swimming as well, and he suddenly threw his arms around his brother.

“I know you’re sorry, Papy,” he whispered. “And… I’m sorry too. For… for not knowing that—that—” Sans broke off suddenly with a sob.

“Hey, no, no, no,” Papyrus hushed him, rubbing comforting circles on Sans’ back. “Don’t you dare blame yourself, bro. It wasn’t your fault, okay? It was just… I was struggling a bit. But it had nothing to do with you.” Papyrus knew this wasn’t entirely true, but he didn’t need Sans to blame himself any more than he already did. “You mustn’t put this on yourself, okay?” Sniffling slightly, Sans nodded, resting his head on Papyrus’ shoulder. At that moment, Red walked back into the room, a numb expression on his face. Sans and Papyrus looked up.

“Red, is something wrong?” Sans asked. Red almost jumped at the sound of Sans’ voice, as if he’d forgotten the other two skeletons were there.

“Um, I don’t know… I have to… I have to go get my brother, he’s…”

“Is he hurt?” Papyrus asked, jumping up from the couch. “Red, is he…?”

“No, no—well, I don’t really know, but… he sounded…” Red looked distant, still staring straight ahead, his eyes not really seeing. He shook his head, giving Sans and Papyrus, who were staring at him in bewilderment, a weak smile. “Um, hey, I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll be right back.”

“Red, wait—”

But Red was gone before Papyrus could finish, leaving him and Sans alone, standing in stunned silence. Papyrus’ soul was hammering in his chest. What could possibly be so urgent that required Red to have to get Edge from work?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are still a bit angsty :/


	36. Chapter 36

As soon as Papyrus left the room, Edge felt a longing ache in his soul. He stared at the door, wanting nothing more than to run after Papyrus, pull him against his chest, hold him close, feel the magic from his soul. But he knew he couldn’t do that. He knew that it would probably be wise to get some distance from Papyrus. But at the same time, every bone in his body was telling him that distance wasn’t what he needed. Every fibre of his being was telling him that he needed to feel Papyrus, to touch him, hold him, protect him. It was almost carnal.

Damn it, Edge hated feeling like this. Like he was being controlled by something other than his own wits. He liked to be alert, on his feet. But these past two weeks, he’d been… distracted. He hadn’t been able to get Papyrus out of his mind, and every second they were together just felt right. It made him feel whole.

Edge could hear talking downstairs, indicating that the others hadn’t left yet. He could still go. He could still stop them, still keep Papyrus close and safe. Without thinking, he rose to his feet. He began walking towards the bedroom door, slowly, as if in a trance. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this, today was supposed to be a day he let Papyrus go – he needed to stop letting… whatever this was, control him. He reached his hand out. Downstairs, he heard the sound of the front door closing. He dropped his hand from the doorknob.

Suddenly, he felt a deep tugging on his soul, and a sharp ache. He gasped, doubling over, clutching his chest. His soul felt as if it was being torn apart, the pulling sensation sending spasms of pain through his chest. He stumbled towards his bed, collapsing onto the sheets. His fingers twisted in the fabric, creating small tears. He lifted his shirt to reveal his soul. It was beating, and was a brighter shade of red than he’d ever seen it. It emitted a deep crimson glow, which pulsed off it in waves of light. Edge groaned as it continued to ache, the pain seeming to reverberate through his entire body.

Then, just as quickly as it started, the pain suddenly reduced to a dull throbbing. Edge could still feel the tugging sensation, but it no longer felt like his soul was being ripped out of his chest by some malicious, invisible force. Edge gingerly lifted himself to his feet, the dim aching in his soul still leaving him feeling slightly uncomfortable. What on earth had that been? Edge had certainly been feeling Papyrus’ distance – every time he wasn’t right by his side, but that hadn't felt anything like the pain he'd just experienced. No, this had been… physical. Unlike any pain he’d ever felt. Surely it didn’t have anything to do with Papyrus?

Deciding that he couldn’t let this brief bout of pain deter him from his duties, Edge checked his cell phone, grimacing slightly at the messages he had from Undyne. The earlier ones were fairly straightforward.

**Edge, where are you? Alphys and I think we might have discovered something in one of the samples from the corrupted monster.**

**Never mind, false alarm.**

Edge frowned at this. Despite having worked on their captured monster – Catty - for weeks, and having taken multiple samples of magic from her soul, Alphys had failed to turn up any new evidence. Undyne’s text then gradually began to grow more irate.

**Edge, what the fuck? Why aren’t you answering my texts? Call me now.**

**Where are you? Are you dead? FUCKING CALL ME.**

Edge had responded to this one, not wanting Undyne to come looking for him.

**Sorry Captain, I have some business to take care of. I won’t be in for a few days.**

Unfortunately, this had not done much to stem Undyne’s rage. There was a series of texts from her after that. Most of them were pretty much the same.

**What the fuck? You think you can just take a day off? GET YOUR ASS HERE NOW.**

**Are you ignoring my fucking calls? EDGE ANSWER YOUR GOD DAMN PHONE YOU BONY BASTARD.**

The texts then spiralled into a chaotic stream of profanity and death threats.

**EDGE YOU MOTHERFUCKING—** Edge cringed at the words Undyne had used to describe him— **IF YOU DON’T SHOW UP I AM GOING TO FIND YOU, BEAT YOUR ASS, AND THEN I’M GOING TO—** Edge winced once again, deciding not to keep reading the endless string of malicious texts. He knew they were empty threats, but they got across pretty much how angry Undyne was. The last text he had received had been about two hours ago. He glanced at it, bracing himself for a further tirade of profanity.

**Edge, we need you. Get over to the lab.**

Edge frowned. This text seemed a lot more urgent than the others, despite the lack of vulgar threats. _Because_ of the lack of vulgar threats, in fact. If Undyne had managed to calm herself long enough not to send Edge a creative depiction of how she was going to murder him, something must be up. Quickly changing into his armour, Edge hurried out of the house, and in the direction of Hotland, his soul still aching persistently.

He arrived at the lab about half an hour later, having taken the quicker route via the river. He usually didn’t favour this method of transport, harbouring a slight mistrust of the mysterious river-person who guided the boat. He'd never been a fan of anyone who didn't show their face. Edge knocked hesitantly at the front door of the lab. It opened, revealing Undyne, her expression grim, but she seemed to light up slightly at the sight of Edge—at least, in anger.

“Edge, you motherfucking pile of bones,” she growled. “Where the fuck have you been, punk? You’ve been gone for—are you okay?” Undyne’s angry expression suddenly dissipated, morphing into concern.

“Fine,” Edge grumbled, still unable to ignore the throbbing in his soul. Undyne gave him a dubious look.

“Well, whatever, we’re definitely gonna have to talk about your leave of fucking absence later. But it can wait. There’s something more pressing at hand. You’d better come with me.” Undyne turned, disappearing into the lab, and Edge followed. The inside of Alphys’ lab was much the same as always – untidy, full of junk, and covered in anime posters. Edge noticed a few DVD discs scattered amongst the papers on Alphys’ work tables. Undyne led him to the end of the room, where she pressed the button for the elevator. Edge had been through this way a few times before – although he hadn’t particularly enjoyed any of the trips. This elevator led down to the secret lab underneath Alphys’ home, and Edge was not fond of it. For some reason, it always made him feel shifty and uncomfortable, like he was being scrutinised by something in the darkness. Not to mention how dirty it was. The good thing about this lab though, was that it had a secret tunnel leading straight to the King’s castle, meaning they didn’t have to travel all the way through Hotland and the Core every time they needed to get to the holding cell.

Undyne and Edge stepped inside the elevator, which began to take them down, down, down, until the elevator light flickered out, and it was too dark to see anything. They rode in silence, before the elevator finally gave a groaning creak, indicating they’d reached the bottom. Undyne led Edge into the dark, musty lobby area, and towards a door at the far corner of the room. Through the door, was a small room, where a series of screens were set up, only one of them currently on. It was displaying surveillance footage of the basement of the King’s castle. Alphys was sitting on a chair in front of the screen, observing it closely. She looked up when Undyne and Edge entered, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of Edge.

“Any change?” Undyne asked, and Alphys shook her head.

“No, it’s been pretty much the same over the past hour.”

“What’s going on?” Edge asked, unable to see the screen properly from where he was standing. Undyne regarded him, her expression sober.

“Well, so far pretty much all this monster’s done is sleep a lot, and threaten to murder us right?”

“Yes…”

“Well, look at this.” Undyne indicated at the screen, and Edge stepped closer, leaning in so that he could make out the grainy image on it. The corrupted monster, Catty, was lying, hands clutched to her chest, as if in pain. Occasionally she would writhe around, and it looked as if she was crying out, although the video feed provided no sound. Edge also noticed something else. Through her clothing, he could see the dark glow of her soul, only, it was a little different from what it normally looked like. Its glow was black – as it always was – but, there also seemed to be waves of light emitting from it – white light.

“Is that… magic?” Edge asked in bewilderment.

“W-we don’t know,” said Alphys, voice small. “She just started doing it about two hours ago; this hasn't happened before.” Edge stared at the screen. Whatever was happening to Catty, it looked like it was causing her an incredible amount of pain. He grimaced, suddenly reminded of the pain in his own soul, which was still throbbing steadily.

“Why is it… white? So far all we’ve seen from her is…”

“Darkness,” said Undyne, grimly, “we know. We think—”

“We think it might be the magic from her soul,” Alphys interjected. “Her… real soul.”

Edge stared at the screen in bewilderment. The image wasn’t very good quality, but there was no mistaking the light of the radiating magic. It didn’t seem to possess the same inky quality that the rest of her soul did.

“Could it be because of some…” Edge began, frowning. “I don’t know, some of the treatments that you’ve given her?”

Alphys looked up in shock.

“What? N-no! I haven’t given her anything that could have caused that! I’ve only been taking samples.” Edge frowned, but nodded. He still didn’t trust Alphys’ methods.

“Well, Edge,” said Undyne, “you and I are gonna go check her out now, Alphys is gonna stay here and observe any behavioural changes.” Edge nodded, and Alphys looked up at him, her nervous expression shifting to something a little closer to concern suddenly.

“E-Edge, are you alright? You look a bit—”

“I’m fine,” Edge snapped, a little too harshly, and Alphys quickly looked back down. Undyne was giving Edge a strange look. In truth, he wasn’t really fine. The pain in his soul was still nagging him, and the ache had been gradually increasing. “Let’s just go,” he said, looking at Undyne, who, after a moment’s hesitation, shrugged and led Edge out the door, leaving Alphys alone in the room.

They followed the long, dark passages of the gloomy lab, passing a series of abandoned work tables and cabinets. Edge shuddered slightly, noticing a strange sticky substance on one of the worktops. He didn’t know what this lab had been used for before Alphys had lived here – or in fact, if Alphys herself had ever used it. But he preferred not to think about it. Not only was he particularly repelled by the squalor of this… dungeon, but he also didn’t like the thought of this being a ‘laboratory’. Laboratories often implied experiments, and Edge didn’t exactly have faith in the humaneness of scientists.

They finally reached the elevator which would lead them to the King’s castle, Edge grateful to leave the dingy lab. The trip was long; they seemed to ascend upwards for an eternity, the light in the elevator flickering as its steady hum droned on. Finally, they reached the dull, grey, concrete passageway, leading up to the castle. It was completely quiet, as it always was here. They had to pass the King’s throne room on the way to the basement, and Edge always shuddered slightly when they did so. Past few months included, Edge had never been fond of the King. Even for a universe like this, he was renowned for his lack of empathy, his malice. Edge was almost grateful not to have seen him in so long.

When they reached the basement, Undyne paused just outside the door. She extracted two syringes from her pocket, filled with the familiar blue liquid, nescium.

“I snagged these, just in case something goes wrong,” she said, handing one to Edge. “Let’s hope it doesn’t.” She then turned and entered the room, Edge hesitating slightly, before following closely behind, doing his best to arrange his face into an expression not indicative of the pain he was feeling in his soul. Catty was still on the floor, much the same as she’d been when they had seen her on the surveillance. She looked up when they entered, and her pained expression suddenly turned into a grotesque grin.

“So, like, you decided to visit?” Her voice was raspy and strained. Up this close, the strange pulsing of her soul was much brighter, the waves of light seeming to echo noiselessly around the room. It was a lot clearer now as well. It was rather mesmerising, in fact. Her soul itself was still tinged with darkness, its core almost pitch black. But somehow, the pulsing light coming off it was completely white. Somehow though, Edge could still feel the darkness within it, sending a cold chill through his own soul, which ached in his chest. The pain actually seemed to have grown worse sometime during their journey here, but he pressed it down, doing his best to ignore it.

“We’re here to observe,” said Undyne, her tone apathetic. “Tell us, what is happening to you? Why is your soul doing that?” Catty only grinned. Edge had figured they would get little information out of her. So far, she had provided absolutely no insight into her condition, despite their numerous interrogations. She hadn’t told them anything about how her soul had become corrupted, or _who,_ if anyone, had done this to her.

“So like, I’m guessing those aren’t painkillers, right?” she asked, half-heartedly indicating the syringes in Edge and Undyne’s hands.

“Why are you in pain?” Edge asked, and she looked up at him, eyes suddenly going wide, as if seeing him for the first time. “What’s causing your soul to do that?” Catty didn’t seem to hear the question, simply staring at Edge.

“Your soul…” she said, sounding completely awed, her voice lacking any of its usual malice. Undyne looked up at Edge, frowning.

“What are you talking about?” she snarled, turning back to the caged monster.

“His soul… it’s, like…” The monster almost seemed to have forgotten her own pain, simply mesmerised by Edge. Edge, however, did not like this ominous talk of his soul, which was throbbing.

“What about my soul? What are you talking about?” Edge stared at Catty intently. She didn’t take her eyes off his chest.

“It’s, like… missing,” she said. Undyne looked at Edge once more, expression bewildered.

“Edge, _what does she mean?”_ she hissed. Edge shook his head, still staring at the monster.

“Missing?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. “Don’t be ridiculous, my soul is right here.” He was struggling though, as the pain in his soul had suddenly intensified, sending an uncomfortable ache through his entire body.

“Well, yeah… most of it,” Catty said, cryptically. “Like… where’s the rest of it?” Undyne and Edge exchanged a look, both perplexed. This was the most information they’d gotten out of this monster in the month they’d had her here. Too bad it had nothing to do with their actual case.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Edge snarled, losing his patience. “My soul is _right here._ Tell me what you’re talking about!” Catty smirked, her usual hostility returning.

“Maybe if you like, let me go, I’ll tell you.” She groaned suddenly, a bright pulse of light radiating from her soul.

“Forget it, punk!” Undyne snapped. “You’re not getting out of here. But you’d better start giving us some answers before I decide to put my _dusting gloves_ on! What do you mean, ‘where is the rest of it’? Are you messing with us? Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is—Edge? Edge are you alright?” Edge had suddenly doubled over, the pain in his soul becoming too unbearable to keep hidden. He did his best not to groan, but a sharp jolt of agony through his chest drew a small whimper from him.

“It’s… nothing, Captain. I’m fine.”

Undyne rolled her good eye at him.

“Yeah sure, ‘nothing’. It doesn’t fucking look like nothing, moron!” She turned to Catty, who was grinning malevolently through her pained grimace. “Are you doing this? Is this part of your game? Is this some fucking ploy to get us to believe that bullshit you’re spouting about his soul? I swear to fucking god, if you—”

“It’s not her, Undyne,” Edge managed to croak, beginning to find it difficult to speak. “It’s… argh, just… let’s just get out of here.”

“Edge, we can’t just—”

“Undyne for fuck’s sake! It feels like my soul is being—uh—ripped out of my fucking chest, just… just get me out of this room!”

Undyne halted for a moment, staring at Edge in bewilderment.

“You’re weak,” came Catty’s harsh voice, and Edge and Undyne both looked up to see her sneering at them through the bars of her cell, leaning against the wall as if she couldn’t support herself. “You don’t… urgh… you don’t stand a chance.” Edge frowned at her, but he suddenly felt Undyne’s arm around his shoulders, lifting him up and guiding him out of the room.

“Come on, dude, she’s just trying to bait us, there’s no point.” Undyne closed the door behind them, blocking off the deranged cackles of the monster inside. She then turned to Edge, who was still bent over, gripping onto the wall for support. “Edge, tell me what’s happening. What’s wrong with you?”

“I—I don’t know, I just… ugh… it started up this morning.”

Undyne looked worried.

“Look, Edge… maybe I should call Alphys, she might—”

“N-no!” Edge said, frantically looking up. He wasn’t eager to involve the Royal Scientist in any matters concerning his soul… or, potentially – Papyrus. “J-just… just call my brother, Undyne, get Red on the phone.”

“Your brother? Edge, you know we can’t—”

“For fuck’s sake, Undyne, he already knows about our damn prisoner!” Edge spat, and Undyne’s eye widened, the yellow in it flashing.

“He _what?”_ she hissed.

“Look, can you just—ah, shit!” A sharp spasm of pain had gone through Edge’s soul, and he slumped against the wall, sliding to the ground. “Just—call Red now!” Edge’s apparent anguish seemed to snap Undyne out of her brief shocked rage, and she pulled out her cell phone, dialling Red’s number. The seconds seemed to drag by like years as the phone rang, Edge almost writhing on the ground in pain.

“Hello? Red?” Undyne’s eyebrows raised for a moment. “Blue? I need to speak to Red, immediately. It’s urgent.” She sighed. _“No,_ he’s not in trouble, you little shit… just—just put him on the damn phone! Thank you.” Edge watched as Undyne waited, tapping her foot impatiently. “Red? Yes, this is Undyne. It’s your brother, he’s—”

“G-give me the phone, Undyne,” Edge instructed, reaching a hand up. Undyne frowned for a moment, before handing Edge the cell phone. “Brother?”

“Boss? Are you okay?” Red’s voice came through the receiver. “What’s—”

“Red, I need you to get here immediately, I’m—urgh, damn it!” Edge broke off as another shock of pain ran through his soul.

“Boss, what’s wrong? You don’t sound good, what’s happening? Are you hurt? Are you—”

“Just calm down and listen to me, Sans!” Edge snapped, and Red fell silent at the other end of the line. “I’m… I’m at the—King’s basement, in his castle. It’s—argh—it’s warded so you won’t be able to short-cut directly here. Just—just go straight to the—the lab… you know the one I’m talking about.”

“You mean Alphys’ basement?” Red asked.

“Yes,” said Edge, through gritted teeth. “We’re just outside the basement—ugh, fuck.”

“Boss, what happened? Why are you—”

“Just hurry, brother! I don’t—I don’t have time to… to explain.” Edge broke off, his breathing heavy and laboured.

“I’ll be there soon, Boss,” Red said, before hanging up. He looked up at Undyne, who was staring at him in shock.

“Edge, what the fuck is going on?”

“I told you, Captain—I don’t… I don’t know… I—”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Edge, you must have some idea. You should really see Alphys, she’ll know what to do.”

“No,” Edge said, his voice low. “No, I’ll—I’ll be alright, I just… I just need to get home.”

“Edge—”

“Captain,” Edge said, cutting Undyne off. His voice was serious suddenly. “You need to keep interrogating… agh… Catty. Today. I—I think that while she’s—in pain, she’ll be easier to b-break.” Undyne paused for a moment, frowning at Edge.

“You’d know, wouldn’t you?” she said, wryly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. She’ll be more afraid of getting hurt since she’s already in pain.” Edge shook his head.

“U-Undyne, I really think it would be better to—to offer her something in re—return for information. Maybe something to… to help the pain.”

Undyne frowned, looking dubious.

“What’s the good of that?” she asked, cynically. “No, Edge, these things don’t understand what it means to bargain – they only understand violence. So we’ve gotta bargain with them that way. Otherwise there’s no point.”

Edge grimaced. He’d been trying to convince Undyne to adopt a more diplomatic approach to interrogating this monster since it had become apparent that threats and violence wouldn’t work. Unfortunately, threats and violence seemed to be the only thing Undyne understood, too. While Edge was doubtful Catty would really respond well to negotiating, torture clearly wasn’t working. Not to mention, Edge wasn’t particularly fond of it as an interrogation technique. It seemed awfully archaic.

“Undyne, this is—shit—we shouldn’t waste this opportunity. She’s—vulnerable right now… she’ll talk if we just—”

“Edge, no offence, but you don’t get to not show up to work for two weeks, and then waltz back in and tell me how to run _my_ interrogations.” Undyne sounded irritated, her golden eye flashing.

“Captain, I’m sorry, I’m just—”

“Boss?”

Edge and Undyne turned to see Red rushing down the dim, grey corridor. He was looking panicked, his eyes focused on Edge.

“Brother, you’re here, good. I need you to—ah, damn it… t-take me home, Red…” Edge was still clutching his chest, where his soul felt as if it was being pulled from between his ribs.

“Y-yeah, Boss, of course… what—”

_“Now,_ Sans.”

Edge gave Red a very deliberate look. One that told him this was a matter not to be discussed in present company. Red’s eye-lights flickered to Undyne, who was frowning, suspiciously. He then nodded, crouching to help Edge to his feet, slinging Edge’s arm over his own shoulder as a support.

“Edge, I really think you should see Alphys,” said Undyne, her eye narrowed.

“I’ll—I’ll be fine, Captain. I just need… mm… some rest.”

Undyne’s frown deepened.

“Edge, I don’t think—”

“I’ll—I’ll see you tomorrow, Captain,” said Edge, grimacing. “I’ll be… f-fine, I promise.” Undyne narrowed here eye at him, but sighed, nodding. Then, Edge and Red made their way down the concrete hallway, until Undyne was out of earshot.

“So, Boss,” said Red, glancing behind him as if to make sure they were alone, “what’s happening? What is this?”

“I think—argh—brother, I think there’s something wrong with my soul.”

Red’s eye sockets widened, his eye-lights shrinking.

“Y-your soul? Boss, what—”

“I—I don’t know what it is, but… but I… f-fuck…” Edge struggled to keep his feet moving, the pain shooting through his body becoming unbearable.

“What? What is it, Boss?”

They’d just passed the throne room, and were now making their way down the final corridor towards the elevator. Once they were there, Red would be able to short-cut them out of here—to take Edge home. Home to…

Edge gave a whimper, almost collapsing, but Red held him steady.

“I—I need…” Edge broke off with a gasp, feeling tears of pain forming at his eye sockets. Red looked alarmed, halting them in their path.

“Boss, what? What do you…?”

“I—I need… I need Papyrus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I'm not able to release the next chapter soon, I've been weirdly sleepy these past few days so I'm probably going to take like a 20 hour nap now that it's the weekend.  
> "Hmm Alice, I wonder why that is? Maybe it's because you dedicate your life to writing this damn story instead of actually sleeping."  
> No, no, that can't be it!  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, another chapter! Hooray!  
> I hope this makes up for all the angst in this story ⊙﹏⊙  
> Also, perhaps it will finally live up to its rating... ¬‿¬

“Papyrus?” Red looked confounded. “No offense Boss, but how is he gonna be able to help?”

“Damn it, Red! Just—just take me to him!”

Red looked startled, hesitating for a moment.

“B-Boss—”

“Brother, I—I can’t… I don’t have time, please… just…”

Red looked troubled, but nodded, hoisting his brother’s weight against himself, half-dragging him towards the elevator. The moment they stepped inside, Edge felt the world spinning around them, and the next moment they tumbled directly into the living room, Edge almost losing his balance. He felt Red’s arms holding him steady, but he suddenly also felt another set of arms grasping his shoulders.

“Edge? Edge, what’s wrong?”

Edge looked up, his sockets lidded, to see Papyrus, his expression distressed.

“P-Papyrus…”

Edge collapsed into his counterpart’s arms, Red releasing him, and Papyrus caught him, Edge slumping against his chest. The moment Edge came into contact with Papyrus’ ribs, a strong wave of calm washed over him, almost completely relieving his pain. But there was still that strange tugging sensation, as if his soul was trying to pull him towards something.

“Papyrus…” Edge whispered again, pulling the other skeleton close to him. “I need…”

“What is it?” Papyrus asked, pulling back slightly to look Edge in the eye. Edge felt his soul strain at their miniscule distance. “What do you need?”

“I need…” Edge repeated, words slightly slurred as he pressed his head against Papyrus’ shoulder. “I need you.” His voice was barely a whisper, so quiet, that he wasn’t sure Papyrus had heard him at first. But then, Papyrus drew him away slightly, only to bring his hands to Edge’s wrists, pulling him close, so that their faces were only inches apart. His eye-lights were bright, almost burning.

“Okay,” Papyrus whispered. He then brought Edge’s arm over one of his shoulders, supporting him, and walked him upstairs. Edge vaguely noticed the way Red and Sans stared after them in stunned silence. As soon as they were inside Edge’s bedroom, and the door closed behind them, Papyrus pulled Edge close once again, their bodies pressed against each other. “What do you need, Edge?” he murmured, his voice almost gravelly.

“You,” Edge replied, “all of you.” A dark flash of arousal ran across Papyrus’ features, and he brought their faces close together once again, so that they were almost touching. Edge could feel Papyrus’ soft breaths against his mouth. Then, Papyrus closed the distance between them, kissing Edge, hands against his cheek bones, pressing their mouths roughly against each other. Edge immediately felt Papyrus’ conjured tongue pushing into his mouth, and he met it with his own tongue, dragging it against Papyrus’ sweet, honey scented magic. Papyrus’ breaths were rough, and Edge gasped as he felt himself being pushed up against the wall, Papyrus hot against him, the feeling of him seeming to reverberate right through Edge’s bones. His soul gave a pulse at their closeness, but it still seemed to be urging him on, begging for more.

Edge kissed Papyrus harder, dipping his tongue into the other skeleton’s mouth, tasting every inch of him, revelling in the small moan he drew from him. Papyrus was still pushing him against the wall, hard, their bodies pressed tightly together. He moved one of his femurs, pressing it between Edge’s legs, and Edge felt a jolt of arousal go through the magic at his crotch, which was already coalescing. He moaned against Papyrus’ mouth, and flipped them around, almost slamming Papyrus into the wall, before pressing his own body against him. Papyrus broke the kiss suddenly, gasping, and looked into Edge’s eye-lights, his own amber ones blown wide with lust.

“E-Edge…”

“Quiet,” Edge murmured, before pressing his tongue against Papyrus’ teeth, thumb running over his jaw. Papyrus gave a small whine, and Edge slowly slid his thumb into Papyrus’ mouth, feeling his soft, warm magic through his gloves.

“You know I... heh... have a thing for leather,” Papyrus whispered, running his tongue along Edge's gloved phalange, smirking. Edge scowled.

“Shut up,” he growled, suddenly grinding his hips against Papyrus’, causing the other skeleton to gasp, his eyes falling closed. Edge kissed him harder, thumb still pressed to the corner of Papyrus’ mouth. He trailed it down, cupping his jaw gently for a moment. He then grasped both of Papyrus’ hands with one of his own, and pinned them up above his head, pressing his own arm against them, holding them still. Edge drew back slightly, smirking, and saw that Papyrus’ eyes were wide, flashing gold. Edge kissed him again, pushing his tongue into Papyrus’ mouth, licking over all the crevices and bones, tasting the sweet honey of his magic.

Edge’s soul gave a desperate pull, and he pushed himself closer to Papyrus, so that their chests were crushed against each other, and Edge could feel the warm glow of Papyrus’ soul, emanating into his own. He moved his hand from Papyrus’ jaw to his chin, pulling him closer against his mouth, still pinning his hands above his head, completely dominating the kiss. Papyrus gave a soft moan, sending a sweet shiver through Edge’s soul. He found himself involuntarily grinding his hips against Papyrus’ once again, feeling their hot magic pressing together through their clothes. Papyrus pulled away from the kiss suddenly, gasping.

“Heh, so… I take it you’re topping?” he panted, glancing down. Edge’s eyes flickered to his crotch, where he could already feel himself growing hard.

“I like you better when you’re not talking,” he murmured, pressing his mouth against Papyrus’ again, feeling a soft chuckle reverberating through the other skeleton’s chest. Papyrus suddenly brought one of his legs up, so that it was around Edge’s waist, pressing their pelvic bones closer together. Sensing his intentions, Edge released his grip on Papyrus’ hands, grasping Papyrus by his hips, and lifting him off the ground, while he wrapped both his legs around Edge’s waist, back pressed against the wall. Edge ground his hips against Papyrus’ sacrum, and the other skeleton threw his head back with a gasp.

“Hah, fuck Edge…”

Edge looked at Papyrus, and the magic at his crotch burned with desire. Papyrus’ head was tipped back, leaning against the wall, his mouth slightly open, orange tongue visible between his teeth. His eyes were closed, and he was panting hard, pushing his hips forward. Edge could feel the pool of magic at Papyrus’ pelvis, and his soul suddenly gave an urgent tug, begging him to get closer to the other skeleton. Edge latched his teeth onto the sensitive discs of Papyrus’ neck, and Papyrus gave a cry, his breathing becoming ragged. Edge ran his teeth over the bones, drawing needy whimpers from the other.

Sharp teeth still lightly grazing over Papyrus’ neck, Edge carried him over to the bed, lying him on his back, not breaking their contact for even a moment. Even though they were still pressed together, Edge’s soul gave a needy tug, and he placed his knees on either side of Papyrus’ hips. Papyrus looked up at him intently, eye-lights practically glowing, before Edge kissed him again, hands on Papyrus’ cheek bones. He felt Papyrus reach his own hands up, one against the back of Edge’s skull, the other behind his back, pressing him down so that their hips were almost touching. Edge ran his tongue over Papyrus’ teeth, into his mouth, against his golden magic, drinking in his taste, his texture, the feeling of him under Edge’s own hot, red magic.

Edge suddenly gasped, a surge of pleasure shooting through his entire body. Papyrus had moved his hand from Edge’s back, down, between their bodies, and had it pressed firmly against Edge’s crotch, rubbing it in gentle, circular motions. Edge instinctively pushed his hips forward into Papyrus’ hand, another groan escaping him. He looked down at Papyrus, who was grinning, his left eye-socket sparking faintly.

“Fuck, you’re so hot like this,” Papyrus murmured, voice low. He cupped his hand, giving Edge a slow squeeze, and Edge moaned again, pressing his head into the pillow beside Papyrus’.

“Gah... bastard,” Edge moaned, and he felt the vibrations of Papyrus’ laughter through his chest. His soul gave an earnest pull, urging him on. He pressed his hips closer to Papyrus’, and Papyrus returned his hand to Edge’s back, pushing him down, until their hips met, Papyrus arching his back slightly so that they ground against each other. Papyrus gasped, while Edge gave a low growl, and latched his teeth onto Papyrus’ shoulder, running his tongue over the bones there, tasting him.

“Oh… fuck, Edge,” Papyrus breathed. “I think it’s about time I…” Papyrus reached down, unbuckling Edge’s leather pants, and slowly sliding them down his femurs. Edge drew in a sharp breath as he felt Papyrus’ hand against his cock, which was already painfully hard. “Heh, always knew you were a dick,” said Papyrus, giving his length a long, gentle stroke, and Edge bit down harder on his shoulder, causing Papyrus to cry out, his hand dropping from Edge’s cock. Edge smiled to himself. He lifted himself up, so that he was kneeling over Papyrus, who was looking at him with an almost animalistic expression, eye-lights still burning. Edge then leaned forward slightly, and began running his hands down Papyrus’ ribs, very slowly, and he felt a faint shudder run through the other skeleton. He paused when he reached the bottom of his hoodie, fingers clinging to the material. Then, he gradually lifted it, up over his ribs, until his golden soul was exposed.

Edge felt his gaze fix on it, unable to comprehend its sheer, mesmerising beauty. Even with the faint cracks that now ran over the surface, it was still one of the most incredible things he’d ever seen. The sight of it sent a faint pulse of arousal to his cock, but most of the sensations he was feeling came from his own soul. Edge felt the familiar sensitivity in his own soul, luring him towards Papyrus, as the golden light emitting from his soul flickered.

“So are you just gonna stare, or—” Papyrus’ words were cut off by a deep gasp as Edge ducked his head to Papyrus’ ribs, and ran his tongue over the amber coloured surface of his soul. “Oh—oh fuck, Edge…” The taste was inconceivable, sending a shudder through Edge’s body, his already desperately hard cock twitching. It felt like he was taking in every sensation he associated with Papyrus; his gentle touches, his kisses, the way he tasted and smelled, the way he felt beneath Edge’s hands. Edge began to remove his gloves, discarding them on the nightstand. “Hey, I—ah—I thought I told you I had a—a thing for… hah—leather,” Papyrus said, gasping. Edge rolled his eye-lights, before he reached his hand down, cupping Papyrus’ glowing soul, and lifting it from his chest. He gazed at it for a few moments, entranced. Papyrus was looking up at him with a needy expression, his teeth slightly gritted, a faint trail of drool leaving his mouth. Edge smirked, and began to drag his free hand down Papyrus’ ribs, slowly, enjoying the desperate expression on Papyrus’ face. When he finally reached his waist, he carefully dipped his hand below Papyrus’ pants, feeling for his magic. When he found it, he was slightly surprised, raising his brow bone.

“Never took you for a pussy,” he said, and Papyrus gave a breathy chuckle.

“Nah, I’m definitely a pussy,” he said, his breathing heavy. “I can take a real pounding.” Edge frowned.

“No you can’t, idiot, you only have one HP, you’re not—oh.” The meaning behind Papyrus’ words suddenly sunk in, and Edge felt himself blush slightly.

“Heh,” was all Papyrus seemed to be able to say, his breaths ragged. The needy look on his face sent a fresh wave of arousal through Edge, and he began to move his fingers beneath Papyrus’ shorts, feeling at his magic, and drawing a faint whimper from the other skeleton. He ran a phalange delicately over the folds of Papyrus’ conjured pussy, his other hand still cupped around the glowing amber soul. Edge lifted his hand to pull Papyrus’ shorts down over his femurs, exposing his honey coloured magic. The sight sent a warm jolt to his cock, but he forced himself to remain composed, for the time-being. Pressing a single digit between Papyrus’ folds, Edge gently began to massage his clitoris, drawing a string of short, ragged gasps from the other skeleton. Edge smiled, and experimentally ran his thumb over Papyrus’ soul, which was still clutched in his hand. Papyrus gave a cry, his hands dropping to the sheets, which he grasped desperately onto, hips bucking slightly.

“Ah—hah—oh fuck Edge… oh, god… fuck…” Papyrus emitted a string of desperate whines and moans as Edge continued to rub his swollen clit, his other hand still gently stroking Papyrus’ golden soul. Slowly, Edge pressed a finger against Papyrus’ entrance, thumb still sliding over his clit. Then, he gradually pushed in the digit, drawing a deep groan from the other skeleton. Edge looked up to see the most wonderful expression on Papyrus’ face. His head was thrown back, eyes closed, his mouth hanging open, pale orange droll running down his chin, his expression one of pure bliss. Edge’s cock twitched, and he swore under his breath, trying to push his own arousal down for the moment. But it was becoming more and more difficult, Papyrus’ moans and gasps growing louder and needier as he pumped the single digit in and out of his already-wet pussy.

“F-fuck, Edge, please…”

Edge’s soul pulsed at the sound of Papyrus’ voice, lower and rougher than he’d ever heard it, the words uttered between the constant stream of whimpers. Tentatively, he pressed a second finger into Papyrus, and was rewarded by a low groan, Papyrus pushing his hips forward, forcing Edge’s fingers deeper. Edge became captivated by the sight of the amber juices, leaking past his fingers, which he was still slowly pushing in and out of Papyrus’ entrance.

“Stars, you’re… you’re fucking gorgeous, Papyrus,” he whispered, and was rewarded by a soft groan.

“Oh god, Edge—please…”

Suddenly, Edge felt a surge of pleasure run through him, and he looked down to see Papyrus’ hand wrapped around his glowing red cock. Edge growled, removing his fingers from Papyrus’ pussy, causing him to whine, and pulling Papyrus’ hand off his cock.

“Not yet,” he murmured. Papyrus opened his eyes in surprise, gazing at Edge. Smirking slightly, Edge brought his drenched fingers up to his mouth, sliding his crimson tongue out, and running it slowly over the bones, licking off the honey coloured juices. Papyrus’ eye-lights went wide, a look of pure lust within them, and Edge returned his fingers to Papyrus’ soaking pussy, pressing them in slowly. Papyrus gasped, and then, smiling deviously, Edge brought Papyrus’ golden soul up to his mouth, still smoothing his thumb over the surface. Papyrus gave him a strange look, before giving a long, deep cry of absolute euphoria, as Edge brought his tongue out, running it over the silky, but cracked surface of the amber soul, which was already dripping with magic.

“Hah, oh fuck, Edge… fuck…” Papyrus threw his head back, bringing a hand up to his forehead, panting. His orange tongue licked over his teeth, sending a fresh trail of drool down his chin. Edge felt a deep growl rising in his chest, and he wrapped his tongue around Papyrus’ soul, drawing another strangled moan from him, each of Papyrus’ breaths now coming out as a cry or groan of pleasure.

“Hmm,” Edge hummed around Papyrus’ soul, causing him to squirm. “Stars, you’re beautiful like this.”

“E-Edge,” Papyrus gasped, “I—I’m going to—I can’t—”

Edge smiled, and leaned close to Papyrus, still running his tongue over the golden soul, his fingers still working in and out of Papyrus’ entrance. He breathed against Papyrus’ neck, and felt him shudder, his pussy clenching slightly around Edge’s fingers.

“Do it,” Edge whispered, curling his fingers inside the other skeleton. “Come for me, Papyrus.”

“Ngh, fuck—Edge—hah—ah...”

Papyrus gasped, and gave the most delicious cry Edge had ever heard, clutching onto Edge as he came, his walls convulsing around Edge’s fingers, his soul dripping with golden-orange magic. Edge ran his tongue over Papyrus’ soul as he rode out his orgasm, tasting the sweet honey of his magic. As Papyrus continued to whimper and gasp, Edge leaned down and kissed him, the taste of his magic surrounding Edge’s tongue, sending a burning pulse through his soul. Papyrus finally dropped his hips back onto the bed, still panting against Edge’s mouth. Edge slowly lowered Papyrus’ soul back into his chest, his own soul feeling warm and alive, the pain from earlier long forgotten. But there was still a faint pull on it, as if it were asking for more, urging him to get closer to Papyrus.

“Edge,” Papyrus gasped. “H-holy fuck.” Edge hummed against him, a faint twinge in his cock suddenly reminding him of his own arousal.

“Hmm, you look incredibly delicious right now,” Edge murmured, and he felt Papyrus shudder slightly underneath him.

“Heh, I’d ask you to eat me out, but I believe it’s your turn.” Papyrus grinned as he reached a hand down, firmly grasping Edge’s cock, and running his thumb over the head, from which pale red precum had already begun to leak. Edge gasped, bucking his hips into Papyrus’ grip, and Papyrus chuckled. “Ha, you must be so pent up, this is gonna be fun.” Edge glared at Papyrus, but his retort was broken off by a soft whimper as Papyrus gave his cock a gentle squeeze, running his hand up and down the shaft. Papyrus smirked, eye sockets lidded. “Hmm, fuck, and I’m already so wet…” Papyrus briefly pressed the head of Edge’s cock against his own dripping pussy, and Edge’s breath hitched.

"F-fuck... ah... Papyrus..."

Papyrus continued to slowly stroke Edge’s length, Edge’s breaths becoming heavy. He leaned his elbows on the bed, either side of Papyrus’ head, his hips thrusting shallowly into Papyrus’ hand. “Mm, I love seeing you like this,” Papyrus murmured. “Just look at you. Losing control at my hands. Fuck it’s hot. I can only imagine what it’ll feel like when you fuck me.” Edge’s breaths became uneven. His face was inches from Papyrus’, and he could practically smell the scent of honey in the air. It clouded his mind, making him delirious with lust. “I bet it’ll be slow and deep, at first,” Papyrus went on, slowly increasing the speed of his hand against Edge's cock. “You’ll take me, make it last forever, before I beg you to fuck me harder…” Edge growled deeply, the feeling of a deep surge of pressure already building in his cock. Fuck, he really was horny. Papyrus continued to move his hand, thumb circling at the tip. “And then you’ll cave, and fuck me so hard I can barely breathe, I’ll be helpless underneath you, falling apart—hah.”

Papyrus’ own breath hitched, and he reached down his other hand, rubbing a fingertip against his own clit, eyes falling closed. Fuck, Edge wasn’t sure how much longer he could take this; his cock was slick in Papyrus’ grip, every stroke sending a more intense surge of pleasure through him.

“But,” Papyrus continued, between his breathless gasps, “I’ll still beg for more, and you’ll give it to me. You’ll give it to me so hard I’ll—ah—I’ll scream your name—ah, fuck, Edge!” Edge had reached down his own hand, pressing two fingers into Papyrus’ pussy, pumping them vigorously in and out. He could already feel his own orgasm building, and by the way Papyrus was clenching around him, he sensed he was close too. “Oh, fuck… and once you—ah—once you’re done with me, I’ll—gah—I’ll beg you to f-fuck me again—oh—oh fuck, Edge yes, hah—ah!”

Papyrus half-screamed as he came for the second time that night, Edge’s name rolling off his tongue in a string of whines as he threw his head back, gasping. Papyrus’ cries were enough to send Edge over, too, giving a long thrust of his hips as the pale crimson magic spurted from his cock, spilling over Papyrus’ hand, and onto his exposed bones below. Despite being utterly spent, Papyrus continued to pump Edge’s cock, until all the red magic had leaked out, and Edge barely had time to roll off Papyrus before he collapsed onto the bed. They both lay there for a couple of minutes, side by side, panting.

“Hah, well,” said Papyrus at last, breaking the silence, “I guess all that will have to wait until next time, eh?” He chuckled faintly through his heavy breathing, and Edge’s soul fluttered as he felt Papyrus lay a hand across his chest, almost subconsciously, as if he didn’t realise he was doing it. Edge turned to look at him. He was lying on his back, eyes closed, a lopsided grin plastered on his face. There were streaks of pale orange on his chin, and Edge also noticed faint stains on his cheek bones, as if his eyes had been watering. Unable to resist the urge, Edge leaned over, bringing a hand to cup Papyrus’ jaw, and kissed him. Papyrus sighed against his mouth, their tongues gently intertwining, Edge finding himself intoxicated by Papyrus’ sweet scent once again.

“I love you,” he murmured against his mouth.

“I know,” Papyrus whispered back, and Edge abruptly drew back, glaring at him. Papyrus was grinning, a mischievous glint in his eye-lights.

“Why do you always have to ruin the perfectly good moments?” Edge grumbled.

“Because then I get to see that look on your face… yeah that’s the one.” Edge struggled to keep the scowl off his face, even though he knew Papyrus was teasing him for it. So instead, he turned to face away, glaring at the wall instead. “Oh hey, come on,” said Papyrus, a hand on Edge’s shoulder, trying to get him to turn back around. “Okay, fine, I love you too. Now will you kiss me again?” Edge slowly turned to face Papyrus, who was still smirking slightly. Hmm, time to wipe that smirk off his face.

“Only if you ask nicely,” said Edge, pouting. Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

“ _Please_ will you kiss me again?” he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. Edge frowned.

“Hmm, no, not good enough.”

Papyrus glared.

“For fuck’s sake Edge, just kiss me, you bastard.”

Edge grinned at the look on Papyrus’ face. Mission accomplished. He reached his hand out again, cupping Papyrus’ jaw, and drawing him close, before pressing their mouths together, kissing him gently. Papyrus brought a hand up to Edge’s jaw, running his thumb over his scarred bones, and Edge circled their tongues against each other. Edge felt one of Papyrus’ hands find his own, intertwining their fingers. A surge of warmth went through his soul. After about a minute, Papyrus slowly drew away, eye sockets drooping slightly.

“Hah, well, I’m utterly spent, so I think I’m going to go to sleep now.”

Edge frowned at Papyrus’ sudden onset of exhaustion.

“Right now? Are you sure you don’t want to clean up first? You’re kind of covered in my um…” Edge indicated at the mess of red and orange splashed across Papyrus’ pelvic bone. But Papyrus just shrugged, eyes already closed, and he turned onto his side, facing Edge.

“Hmm, ‘ll jus’ clean it up in the mornin’…” His voice was soft, words slurring slightly.

“Papyrus…”

But Papyrus was already breathing deeply, one hand resting underneath his head, the other still clasped in Edge’s. Edge felt his soul give a jolt, and he caressed Papyrus’ fingers, gently. He allowed himself to admire the peaceful expression on the other skeleton’s face for a few moments, running his phalanges down his cheek bone.

Edge’s attention was suddenly drawn to the faint glow under Papyrus’ hoodie. Slowly reaching out his hand, he lifted it, revealing Papyrus' pale orange soul. Edge gazed at it in wonder, his own soul tingling, almost as if in anticipation. He tentatively reached out, and his soul gave a strange lurch when his fingertips were within an inch of Papyrus’ soul. He drew back in surprise, and his own soul almost seemed to whine at the distance. Edge frowned, and decided to experiment.

Very slowly, he began to move his hand towards Papyrus’ soul, and noticed that the closer he got, the more intense the tingling sensation in his own soul grew, and it would always jolt slightly when he was extremely close. Edge was tempted to touch Papyrus’ soul, just to see what reaction it would cause in his own, but he didn’t want to do that while Papyrus was unconscious. Deciding that he’d figure this strange connection later, Edge began to lower Papyrus’ hoodie once more.

But something stopped him. Something deep within Papyrus’ soul. Edge didn’t think he would’ve noticed it if Papyrus’ soul hadn’t been glowing very brightly, and the room hadn’t been so dark. But there it was.

Deep within the amber of Papyrus’ soul, was a faint prickle of crimson.


	38. Chapter 38

When Papyrus woke up, it was still dark. He was lying in Edge’s bed, Edge still asleep beside him. It seemed he was the first awake for once. He looked down to see that their hands were still clasped around each other, and he gave Edge’s fingers a gentle squeeze, before carefully removing his own hand from Edge’s grip. But, despite Papyrus’ caution, Edge’s eyes flew open as soon as he pulled away.

“Edge, you’re—”

“Where are you going?” Edge asked, sounding slightly alarmed. Papyrus shrugged.

“I dunno, to have a shower I guess. I won’t be long.” He smiled at Edge, climbing out of the bed, but his rougher counterpart didn’t seem to relax. If anything, his expression grew more strained.

“O-okay,” Edge said. “I’ll come with you.” Edge began to shift off the bed, but Papyrus stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Edge, don’t worry about it. Just go back to sleep, I can shower by myself.” Papyrus smiled at Edge, who still looked tentative, but nodded. “I’ll be back in a moment,” said Papyrus, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. He felt strangely guilty for leaving Edge alone – even if it was for just a few minutes. It felt as if he were abandoning him… but that was ridiculous. Papyrus shook off the feeling, and made his way down the passage. When he emerged from the bathroom afterwards, he was surprised to see Red slowly closing his own bedroom door, as if he was trying not to make a sound.

“Red?”

Red jumped, barely managing to stifle a small yelp as he turned to face Papyrus, who smirked slightly.

“S-Stretch—what…”

“Sneaking out?” Papyrus asked, raising his brow bone. “You know, that’s very unchivalrous of you.” Red looked flustered, eye-lights going wide, and a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

“W-what? I wasn’t—we weren’t—it’s—it’s not like that!”

Papyrus gave him a skeptical look, still smirking.

“Really?”

“Yes!” Red hissed, keeping his voice low. “He just wanted company so I… I slept on the floor.” Red looked away suddenly and Papyrus was surprised.

“You… slept on the floor?”

“Yes, because I didn’t want to assume anything and he seemed really sad after you weren’t there last night and… and…” Red trailed off, looking embarrassed.

“He didn’t ask you to sleep in the bed?” Papyrus asked, dubious. Sans loved to cuddle, even if there wasn’t anything romantic behind it.

“He… he did.” Red’s blush deepened. “I just said no.”

“You did? Wow, Red, you’re finally learning some self-control.” Red looked even more embarrassed.

“It’s not that I… I just… tend to get a bit handsy when I—ugh why am I telling _you_ this? You nosy bastard!” Red glared at Papyrus, who stifled a chuckle. “What about my brother? How is he?” Red asked, quickly changing the subject.

“He’s fine,” said Papyrus, though he felt a sliver of doubt creeping into his soul. “Well, I don’t know to be honest. He seems a bit…”

“In pain?” Red asked, raising his brow bone. Papyrus looked at him in surprise.

“Yes, actually. Kind of like that.” He shook his head, frowning. “You know, it was so weird last night, he had this kind of… desperate need about him. Like he couldn’t get close enough to me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty hot when you’re—”

“Don’t need the details of your sex life, dude,” said Red, raising a hand as if to stop Papyrus.

“Uh, right. But anyway, it was strange. Like he was… in distress? I don’t know how to explain it.” Papyrus looked up at Red. “What happened yesterday anyway? When you went to get him?” A grimace crossed Red’s features.

“It was weird, dude. He seemed to be in an immense amount of pain. He was clutching his chest and… he kept asking for you.” Papyrus felt his soul give a jolt.

“Wow, that sounds awfully dramatic,” he said, trying to keep his voice casual. “Who knew love could be so painful.” Papyrus saw Red’s expression flicker slightly as he said ‘love’, but he didn’t mention it.

“No, it wasn’t like that. The pain seemed… physical. Like his soul was hurting or something.” Red frowned, looking worried, and Papyrus felt his own soul lurch slightly.

“Okay, that… doesn’t sound normal.” Papyrus grimaced at the thought of Edge being in pain… and asking for him. It was rather alarming; physical pain of the soul was not something to be taken lightly. Yet, at the same time, Papyrus couldn’t stop the warm, tingly feeling he got at the thought of Edge asking for him when he was suffering… and his presence seeming to cure Edge’s pain. Damn it, Papyrus! Not at all romantic, pull yourself together, he thought, chastising himself.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Red’s voice interrupted Papyrus’ thoughts. “And you know, I was thinking – maybe the reason he’s been so clingy these past few weeks has been because of this weird soul pain thing. Like, maybe whenever he’s far away from you he gets all…” Red trailed off, looking troubled, and something suddenly occurred to Papyrus.

“Shit, he—he’s alone in there right now, do you think…?” Papyrus quickly glanced at Edge’s bedroom door, as if it would give him some indication to the state Edge was in. Red shrugged.

“I dunno, dude. But maybe you should check on him. I’m gonna head downstairs.” Red began making his way towards the stairs, and Papyrus smirked at him.

“You sure you don’t wanna go back to bed with my brother?” he asked, a devious grin creeping onto his features. Red shot him a glare.

“Fuck off.”

Papyrus chuckled as he watched Red disappear down the stairs, then he made his way to Edge’s room, opening the door quietly. He couldn’t see anything, his eye-lights still not adjusted to the darkness of the room.

“Edge, are you—hmph!”

Papyrus was broken off by the feeling of a pair of arms being thrown around him. Edge pulled him into a tight embrace, Papyrus tensing for a moment before returning it. Edge then brought their mouths together, kissing Papyrus with earnest, his tongue delving into Papyrus’ mouth before he’d even had a chance to start forming his own. But Edge didn’t seem deterred. He licked over the smooth bones inside Papyrus’ mouth, running his tongue over Papyrus’ teeth, leaving a slightly spicy taste behind. At length, Papyrus gently pried their mouths apart, holding Edge at arm’s distance. His eye-lights had adjusted to the darkness now, and he could see a faint crimson blush across Edge’s cheek bones, and his ruby eye-lights were intense.

“E-Edge, what—”

“I-I’m sorry, Papyrus,” Edge said, his voice slightly raspy. “You were just gone for-for—”

“For fifteen minutes,” said Papyrus, giving Edge a dubious look. “I was gone for fifteen minutes, Edge.” He frowned, observing his rougher counterpart with concern. “Edge, what’s the matter? You’ve been acting so… strangely recently. Not to sound conceited or anything, but it’s like you can’t be away from me for two seconds without going into a tizzy. What’s gotten into you?” Edge looked strained, an uncomfortable look making its way onto his features.

“Papyrus, there’s… there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Papyrus frowned, a feeling of unease creeping up on him. Edge paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath, and looking Papyrus directly in the eye.

“It’s about your soul.”

 

****

 

“Wow, these are really good, Blue.”

They were all sitting at the kitchen table, eating the pancakes Sans had made. And, at Red’s request – they were blueberry pancakes. He’d smiled slightly to himself when he’d asked, having drawn a cyan blush onto Sans’ face.

“Why, thank you, Red!” Sans beamed, and Red felt himself grinning slightly.

“These blueberries are almost as sweet as you.” The blue blush returned to Sans’ cheeks, and he looked away, a small smile on his face. Red suddenly noticed Edge’s eyes darting back and forth between the two shorter skeletons, realisation creeping onto his face. Oh shit. He’d forgotten that his brother didn’t know about the kiss between Sans and himself. But Edge’s attention was quickly drawn away from the other two skeletons, as Papyrus ran a hand up his arm. The two of them were sitting close together, as they normally did, but this time it seemed Papyrus was aware of Edge’s need for contact, his fingers frequently brushing over the rougher skeleton’s arm or hand. Red noticed a strange apprehensiveness about his brother, as if he had something to announce but couldn’t find the words. He also noticed that Papyrus had barely touched his food. Sans seemed to notice as well, because he looked up at his brother, a small, concerned smile on his face.

“Papy, you’ve hardly eaten anything… are you alright?”

Papyrus looked at Sans, and smiled weakly.

“Um, yeah bro, I’m good. It’s just…”

“There is something we need to discuss with you two,” Edge interjected, sounding slightly strained. Red looked at his brother with concern. Edge seldom used that tone of voice—not unless something was seriously bothering him. A sense of unease crept into Red’s soul.

“What is it Boss?” he asked, trying to keep his voice light, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever Edge wanted to discuss with them, had something to do with the way he’d been acting.

“It has to do with my behaviour these past two weeks,” Edge said, confirming Red’s suspicions. “I’m sure you’ve noticed how I’ve been rather… attached, to Papyrus.” Hah, that was one way of putting it, Red thought. “And yesterday, when we were away from each other, my soul… it, um, hurt a bit.” Red saw Papyrus give Edge’s arm a gentle squeeze.

“Edge…” he murmured, quietly. Edge sighed.

“Okay, it actually felt like it was being ripped out of my fucking chest.”

Red heard Sans gasp beside him, and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the confession, or just due to Edge’s use of profanity.

“E-Edge,” Sans squeaked, “are you okay?” Sans’ starry blue eye-lights were wide. Edge shook his head slightly.

“Well, I am now, but… even when I’m away from Papyrus for a few minutes, the pain returns. It’s like my soul knows when he isn’t nearby.”

“Well, that’s super romantic Boss,” said Red, sarcastically, “but do ya know why? I mean it can’t just be because you’re… in love.” Red heard Sans gasp quietly at Red’s revelation. But Edge looked grim. Papyrus seemed to sense the tension in Edge, because he spoke up.

“We think it might be because he healed me,” he said. “I mean, it sort of started up just after that so…”

“But he’s healed you before,” said Red, frowning. “And monsters heal each other all the time, this kind of shit never happens.”

“Well, he did basically bring me back from death…” Papyrus trailed off, and Red saw Edge clutching his hand tightly, a tormented expression on his face. Beside him, Red felt Sans go tense.

“From d-death?” Sans asked, eye-lights quivering slightly. “Y-you were dead?” Papyrus gave his brother a somber expression.

“Um, yeah… for a bit.”

Red heard Sans draw in a sharp breath, and looked over to see tears brimming at his eye sockets. Red quickly put an arm around him, drawing him close, and Sans leaned into him, sending a warm flutter through his soul.

“So, you think that’s caused this—this, uh, soul-ache thing?” Red asked. “How?”

“Well,” Papyrus began, “we think it—”

“We’re not sure,” Edge interrupted, and Papyrus glanced at him, frowning slightly. Edge looked at Papyrus, holding his gaze for a few seconds, as if communicating something. Still frowning, Papyrus turned back to Red.

“Uh, yeah. But we’re going to see Doctor Alphys about it. She might know what to do.”

Red saw Edge grimace slightly.

“We don’t need to see her, Papyrus,” he muttered, his gravelly voice low.

“I dunno, Boss,” Red said, shrugging. “Sounds like she might be able to help. She knows quite a bit about that kind of stuff, doesn’t she?” Edge’s expression darkened.

“I don’t trust her,” he said.

“Edge,” said Papyrus, a slight commanding tone to his voice, “you can’t go on like this, we have to see her. She could help you. Even just give us some insight into what the problem is.”

“I’ll be fine,” Edge snapped, looking at Papyrus sharply. “I can manage.” Red tried not to roll his eye-lights. He knew his brother had a tendency to take on more than he could handle, and he had a feeling his hesitance to see Alphys wasn’t for his own sake, but Papyrus’. Edge had told him before about Alphys’ interest in the one HP skeleton. Well, whatever the reason, Red wasn’t about to let his brother willingly put himself in danger just because of his silly reservations about the Royal Scientist. He took a deep breath.

“Boss, no offence, but that’s a bunch of bullshit.” Everyone went quiet, looking at Red. It wasn’t often that he challenged his brother on these matters, but having seen the state Edge had been in yesterday, he wasn’t keen to let this one go. “You’re not fine, just look at yourself. Ya can’t even stop touching him for two seconds—stars forbid he leaves the bloody room. You _need_ to see Alphys.” Edge stared at his brother for a few moments, and for a split second, Red wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have spoken. His brother’s eye-lights were intense, holding Red’s gaze, his expression unreadable. Finally, he broke the tense silence.

“Very well, I will see Alphys,” he said, and Red’s eyes widened with surprise.

“You—you will?”

“I will. But,” he turned to Papyrus, “you’re not coming with me.” Red groaned, and Papyrus stared at Edge in bewilderment.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake Edge! You can’t be serious. I’m half the problem—I have to be there!”

Edge glared at Papyrus.

“No, you don’t,” he hissed. “I don’t want you going anywhere near Alphys—she can’t be trusted!”

“Boss, come on,” said Red. “What can Alphys even do? You’ll be there with him the whole time. And you can’t go by yourself anyway—your soul will start hurting you again.” Edge glared at his brother, seething.

“Stay out of this, brother. Papyrus will not be coming with me, and that’s final.” Red scowled, and was about to retort, when, to his surprise, Sans spoke up.

“W-what about Undyne?” he asked, nervously. Edge turned to regard Sans, expression harsh, and Red felt Sans flinch.

“What about her?” Edge asked, voice still scathing.

“W-well, what if she was there?” Sans looked up at Edge, fidgeting slightly.

“How would that help?” Edge asked. “If you think Undyne would side with us over Alphys, then you’re—”

“N-no,” Sans said, quickly. “But, if she were there… wouldn’t Alphys be less likely to do something… h-horrible? I mean, she wouldn’t want Undyne to see her as a b-bad person, so she might…” Sans trailed off, looking down. Everyone at the table was silent. Red paused, considering what Sans had said. That was actually… rather intuitive of him. Of course, should things go awry, Undyne would likely side with Alphys. But having her there might ease some of the tension, and Alphys certainly wouldn’t want to do anything nefarious in Undyne’s presence.

“You trust Undyne, don’t ya, Boss?” Red asked. “You know she wouldn’t condone anything… unsavoury. You don’t have to trust Alphys, but if Undyne is there…” Edge paused for a moment, considering. He frowned slightly, before looking at Sans.

“I suppose you make a fair point, Blue. Hmm, very… diabolical of you to think to use Alphys’ devotion to Undyne against her, nyeh heh.” Red didn’t miss the way Papyrus frowned slightly at Edge’s statement. Edge sighed. “Alright, I suppose I will text Undyne in that case, and tell her to meet us at the lab.” Edge rose from his seat, and Papyrus did the same. Red saw Sans cast a nervous glance at his brother, eye-lights flitting to his untouched food.

“I’ll, um, see you later bro,” said Papyrus, smiling weakly at Sans, who looked a little put-out.

“Oh… okay, Papy.” Sans looked down, and Papyrus’ smile faded slightly, before Edge guided him out of the kitchen, his hand resting on Papyrus’ lower back. Once they were gone, Red looked over at Sans, whose expression was sullen. Red knew that Sans had been hoping to spend some time with his brother today—he’d told Red as much last night. Red knew it was difficult for Sans to see his brother’s attention so preoccupied by someone else – especially since, much like Red and Edge, it had just been the two of them for most of their lives. Red put a comforting arm around Sans’ shoulders.

“Hey, buddy, cheer up. How about we do something fun today? Just you and me?”

Sans looked up at Red, still seeming down.

“Like what?” he asked.

“Hmm, wanna go to Waterfall?” Red asked, and Sans shrugged.

“Sure.” Sans still seemed a little plaintive, and an idea occurred to Red.

“How about I show you this secret place of mine? It’s kind of far, so I don’t go there much, but... I don’t have sentry duty today, so...” This was a blatant lie on Red’s part. He was supposed to have sentry duty today – yesterday had been his day off. But he didn’t like seeing Sans so downtrodden, and he didn’t want to leave him alone at the house either. “So… maybe we could have a picnic? Just the two of us… if you like.” Red felt himself blushing slightly, knowing that the place he planned to take Sans to was rather… romantic. Over the past few weeks, the two of them had visited Waterfall on multiple occasions, but Sans had yet to kiss him again. Red couldn’t deny that it was getting to him a little. He didn’t want to pressure Sans, but he was starting to get creeping doubts, telling him that maybe Sans regretted what had happened between them. It had been almost a month, and Sans hadn’t brought it up again, and he always seemed flustered when Red tried to. He was happy to hold Red’s hand, but anything further than that seemed to scare him off. Red couldn’t deny he’d been flirting with Sans rather persistently, and Sans didn’t seem to mind, but Red was still worried that he was only humouring him at this point. Although, Sans hadn’t denied it when Papyrus had brought up their kiss, so maybe… but Red didn’t want to assume anything. Still, he enjoyed their Waterfall trips immensely, and even if Sans didn’t have those feelings for Red, he didn’t want to sacrifice their friendship over one small kiss.

“A picnic?” Sans asked, eyes lighting up slightly.

“Uh, yeah…” Red brought a hand up to the back of his skull, avoiding Sans’ eye-lights. “I mean, it’s cool if you don’t want to. We could just—”

“N-no!” said Sans, quickly. “That sounds… very nice.” He beamed at Red, who felt himself blushing slightly. A faint tinge of cyan was creeping onto Sans’ cheeks as well. “Um… I’m just going to go take a shower!” he said, standing up. “Th-then, should we go?” He hopped on his feet, tentatively, not making eye contact with Red.

“Yeah, I’ll start packing some snacks.” Red smiled, and Sans nodded, before scampering off. Red watched him go, a light warmth in his soul.

 

****

When Sans reached the bathroom, he was still blushing. He had been putting it off for weeks now, but he _really_ wanted to kiss Red again. His desire to do so was slowly beginning to outweigh his anxieties. Today was the day, he decided. He was just going to do it. And if Red told him he didn’t return Sans’ feelings, then he’d sleep better at night knowing he’d at least tried.

After stripping off his clothes, and gently lying his blue bandana on top the neat pile, Sans turned on the water, making it extra hot, and climbed into the shower. He used the most fragrant soap he could find in the Underfell brothers’ bathroom – vanilla. He was a little disappointed that they didn’t have something a little more exciting, but he supposed it would suffice.

As he scrubbed himself clean, his mind wandered to Red, and his soul did a little flip. He thought of the way Red looked when he blushed, or when he smiled at Sans when _he_ was the one blushing. He thought of how much their small height difference had bothered him at first, but how he now found that he rather liked it, as it had let him stand on his tippy toes when they kissed. Then he thought of what it felt like to kiss Red. The single two kisses they’d shared. The way that, despite his rough exterior, Red had been so gentle, holding Sans’ face in his hands, caressing his cheek. Sans’ soul tingled slightly at the thought. He remembered the feeling of Red’s tongue, pressing against his teeth, sliding along his own.

Suddenly, Sans noticed a strange pleasant burning feeling around his pelvic bone. He looked down and gave a small squeak of surprise. Cyan magic was pooling there, swirling around, making him feel hot. His eye sockets widened in shock. Why was it doing that! He tried to force it away, the way he usually did with magic, but it didn’t disappear, still giving off a faint blue glow. Sans felt himself panicking slightly. Was he sick? What was happening? He cautiously reached down a hand, using a single finger to just barely touch the small pool of burning magic. He gasped as a strange surge of pleasure ran through him, clamping a hand over his mouth. He suddenly found his thoughts straying to Red, wondering what it would feel like if Red touched him like that…

He abruptly snapped himself out of that mindset. Oh no! He couldn’t think like that, it was so dirty! He pulled his hand away from the magic, and quickly rinsed himself before climbing out of the shower and drying himself off. He sat on the edge of the bathtub, towel wrapped around him, willing his magic to dissipate. Very slowly, the cyan blue glow gently ebbed away. Sans breathed a sigh of relief, and sat there for a moment, still in a slight state of shock. Oh—oh no! How could he possibly face Red now?

No, he thought. He had to do this. He’d made a promise to himself, and he couldn’t go back on it. Trying to push away any sinful thoughts, Sans hurried downstairs. Red was still in the kitchen, packing some last minute snacks into a black bag.

“Oh, hey Blue, how was your shower?” he asked, glancing up as Sans entered. Sans felt a deep blue blush make its way onto his cheek bones, thinking of the strange thing his magic had done, the way it had felt when he’d touched it… no! Just, don’t think about it, he told himself.

“Um, fine,” he said, quickly. “So, uh, what have you packed?” he asked, eager to change the subject. Red gave him a strange look, but shrugged.

“Oh just bits and pieces,” he said, shuffling through the bag. “Mustard, of course. And I know how much you loved those cookies I got you a while back so, uh, some of those… and…” Red drifted off, a faint red blush on his cheeks. “I, um, also packed some wine. Just in case, uh, you know…” He looked away from Sans, who felt his eye-lights widen, his own blush intensifying.

“Oh, um, that—that sounds great!” He averted his eyes, unable to keep his mind off what had happened in the shower. “Should we, um, go then?” he asked.

“Oh, uh yeah. Let’s get going.” Red closed up the bag, before turning to the door. “I’m just gonna tell my bro where we’re headed—I won’t be a minute.” Red hurried out of the kitchen, leaving Sans alone. As much as he tried to distract himself from it, he felt his mind wandering back to the way his magic had reacted in the shower. He stared down at the area of his pelvic bone, as if expecting to see the faint blue glow again. But, fortunately, it was just his normal, dark blue pants – no glow. Curiously, Sans reached his hand down, and touched it to the area his magic had been. It didn’t feel like anything – at least, not how it had felt before. Tentatively, he ran his finger over the curve of his pelvic bone, through the fabric of his pants. The faint touch sent a slight prickle up his spine, and he quickly withdrew his hand. It had felt a little similar to the sensation he’d felt in the shower – but nowhere near as intense. Suddenly, Red re-entered the kitchen, and Sans jumped slightly, putting his hands behind his back.

“You ready to go?” Red asked, and Sans nodded. His hand tingled slightly as Red took a hold of it, and he tried not to blush. Then, he felt the familiar lurching sensation, and the kitchen disappeared before his eyes.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DATING START!

Sans felt his feet hit a hard surface. He glanced around in confusion. Unlike his previous visits, he and Red weren’t in one of the normal grassy areas of Waterfall. Instead, they appeared to be in a dark, cave-like passageway, water dripping from the ceiling far above.

“It’s so dark here,” Sans observed, squinting. “How are we meant to see anything? Isn’t it a little dangerous?”

Red shrugged, and Sans felt him tighten his grip on his hand slightly.

“Nah, other monsters hardly ever come here. And besides, you’ve got me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Sans felt himself blushing slightly. “Now follow me, I want to show you something.” Red began to walk down the passageway, hand still clasped around Sans’. He led them through the tunnel until they reached a large clearing, where water was splashing onto the ground, creating puddles. Unable to help himself, Sans stomped in one as they walked past, sending water droplets flying. Red raised his brow bone at him. “Really?” he asked, brushing a few of the droplets off his jacket irritably, but there was a small smile at the corner of his mouth, and Sans grinned. They continued down the long passage and Sans realised he wasn’t familiar with this area, never having traversed Waterfall in his own universe much further than Alphys’ house and the Echo Flowers. “Okay, this is it,” said Red, as they reached a large archway at the end of the tunnel. He seemed apprehensive all of a sudden. He grasped Sans’ hand tighter, leading them through the archway, and Sans was greeted by the most incredible sight he’d ever seen.

They were standing in a large cavern, a dark lake of water to their left, and the faint shadow of a castle in the distance. The ceiling, which loomed high above them, was decorated with thousands of stars. The twinkling lights cast a luminescent pale blue glow over the cavern, and Sans felt like he’d stepped into a fairy-tale.

“So, um, what do you think?” Red asked, hands twisting together in anticipation. He was staring at the ground, a faint red blush on his cheeks. Sans realised his mouth had fallen open, and quickly closed it.

“Red, it’s—it’s…” Sans couldn’t find the words to describe it, so instead, he dropped the bag on the ground, and threw his arms around Red’s neck. “It’s wonderful, thank you!” Red hugged Sans back, and Sans leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his sturdy arms around him. Sans' soul started thrumming in his chest.

This was it. He had to do it now. Wait, wait, no! He couldn’t do it. Red was going to think he was stupid! No Sans, you promised. Damn it, now he’s staring at you, Sans. Stop being an idiot! Just—just kiss him. Oh stars, what was he doing? Red was going to hate him now, he was taking too long. If Sans kissed him now he would just think it was weird! Sans, snap out of it! Just get it over with!

Oh stars, wait.

Red’s hand was on his cheek.

Oh boy, what was he supposed to do? Oh no, Red was looking at him again. Looking at him with those eyes. Was Red… blushing? Oh no! Now Sans was blushing too! Damn it, Sans! Why are you making this so awkward?

“Sans…”

Oh shit.

Sans mentally chastised himself for swearing in his head. But—but Red had just used his real name! And his voice had been so… so deep. Oh stars, he couldn’t take this any longer.

Blushing profusely, Sans brought his hands up to Red’s face, bringing their mouths together, and kissing him softly.

And just like that, every anxiety he'd had about kissing Red evaporated.

The moment he felt Red’s mouth against his, Sans didn’t even know what he’d been so worried about. This was nice. He could feel Red softly breathing against him, his hand still pressed to Sans’ face. He felt the familiar jolt of warmth in his soul, and sighed when he felt Red’s tongue pressing against his teeth. He opened his mouth, bringing his own tongue to run along Red’s, tasting his savoury magic. After a while, he slowly broke the kiss, looking into Red’s eye-lights, which were wide and intense.

Oh no, Red hated him.

“I—I’m sorry, Red!” Sans cried, looking away. “I—I shouldn’t have…” Sans trailed off as Red brought a hand up to his jaw, lifting his face so that their eye-lights met.

“Don’t be,” he whispered, and leaned in, kissing Sans again. Sans’ soul thumped with excitement, tasting the slight tang on Red’s tongue. When they broke away, Red was smiling, his cheeks flushed cherry. “I’ll kiss you one thousand times,” he said, and Sans looked at him in confusion. “One for every star.” Sans glanced up at the twinkling crystals far above, his own eye-lights sparkling.

“There… there are more than one thousand stars up there,” he said, quietly. Red smiled, bringing them mouths together again.

“Start counting,” he said, grinning as he pulled away, and Sans gave him a gentle smack on the arm.

Oh yes, this was good.

 

They found a small outcropping of rocks that overlooked the lake, and sat down, watching the way the lake shimmered slightly under the crystal lights. Red immediately tucked into the mustard, Sans grimacing slightly. After a little while, Sans decided to open the bottle of wine. Red looked at him as he withdrew it from the bag.

“Trying to get me drunk, Blueberry?” he asked, smirking. Sans glared.

“No! I just think it would make this more…”

“Romantic?” Red’s smirk widened.

“Yes, romantic!” Sans huffed. “There’s nothing wrong with romance.” Red shrugged.

“Eh, I dunno, it’s all a bit too cheesy for me. I’d rather just kiss you.” Red shuffled closer to Sans, cupping his cheek. Sans leaned into the touch, before Red brought him closer, pressing their teeth together. Sans was the first to conjure up his tongue this time, letting it slide over Red’s teeth, leaving a faint trail of blue magic. Red brought his own tongue out, licking Sans’ magic off his own teeth, before meeting Sans’ tongue, pulling it closer to his mouth. Sans felt Red trail his hands over his spine, and he shivered slightly, leaning towards him. He brought a hand up to the back of Red’s skull, pulling him closer, and kissing him harder. Red pressed their bodies together, Sans’ soul tingling at their proximity. Instinctively, Sans clasped a hand around the back of Red’s neck, causing him to moan softly. The sound sent a jolt through Sans soul, and he suddenly felt a familiar pleasant burning sensation down near his pelvis.

“N-no!” he squeaked, quickly pulling away. Red looked startled.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, eye-lights wide with concern.

“I-I’m sorry, Red!” Sans scrambled back frantically, trying to hide his crotch from the other skeleton.

“Sorry for what?” Red asked, looking utterly perplexed.

“I—I…” Red’s eye-lights suddenly trailed downward, widening, and Sans quickly made an attempt to cover himself. “D-don’t look!”

“Sorry,” Red apologised, quickly averting his eyes. “But Blue, I don’t understand, why are you sorry? I don’t care if you get a little horny. Probably would’ve started happening to me too soon.”

“Don’t say that!”

Red smirked.

“What? Horny?”

“Sh-shush! Don’t say it, it’s—dirty.” Sans looked down, feeling ashamed. He flinched slightly when Red put a hand on his cheek.

“Sans,” he said, soothingly, “it’s not dirty. It’s completely normal, there’s no need to get freaked out. It happens all the time.” Sans shook his head.

“N-no it doesn’t!”

Red chuckled

“Uh, yeah, it does.”

“N-not to me.” Sans’ voice went quiet, and Red frowned.

“What do you mean? Have you never…” Red’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’ve never masturbated, Blue?” Sans whacked him on the arm.

“S-stop, don’t say that word!” he squeaked.

“What, masturbate?” Red grinned, and Sans blushed deeply. “It’s okay, Blue, everyone does it. You must've done it before. What about when you go into heat?” Sans hung his head looking away, and Red gaped. “You—you’ve never gone into heat before?”

“N-no,” said Sans, quietly.

“Is that like, a thing in your universe?” Red asked, bewildered. “Do monsters just not get heats?”

“No, they do. Papy gets them all the time, it’s just… I never have.”

“That’s strange,” said Red, pondering. “Do you know why?”

“No, not really,” said Sans, shrugging. “Papy thinks maybe it’s because I’m a… v-virgin, since he only got his first heat after he—after his first time.” Red shook his head, looking thoughtful.

“Nah, that can’t be it. Boss ‘n I had our first heats long before we started having sex. I don’t think it works like that. Maybe… maybe it’s ‘cause you’ve never really, I dunno? Been that interested in sex? So your body doesn’t really see the need to go into heat.”

Sans shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe.” He suddenly didn’t feel like talking about this anymore. He’d always been slightly ashamed of never having had a heat before – he’d always seen it as a sign of maturity. Red seemed to notice his discomfort, because he changed the topic.

“So, um, you wanna try masturbating?”

Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best change in topic.

“W-what!” Sans squeaked, looking up.

“Oh, n-no! Not—not right now! I just mean, um, you might enjoy it if you did it sometime… it’s sort of good for, uh, y’know, relieving tension and stuff.” Red’s gaze drifted to the ground, his cheeks a pale shade of crimson.

“Um, I don’t know…”

“You don’t have to,” said Red, quickly, looking up. “But, y’know, you don’t have to be scared or anything. Loads of people do it.” Sans looked at Red uncertainly.

“D-do you…?”

“’Course I do,” Red said nonchalantly.

“H-how…?” Sans looked away from Red, unable to hold eye contact.

“Oh, um…” Red grinned sheepishly. “Well, you know how your magic responds when you get horny?” Sans winced slightly at Red’s use of the word ‘horny’, but nodded. “Well, you kind of just, um, get it to form what you want. And then you just sort of… touch yourself where it feels good.” Red looked at Sans, blushing slightly. “We’re pretty lucky, because we can form whatever we want. Most monsters aren’t like that.” Sans’ soul lurched slightly as he wondered what Red usually formed. No! Stop it, Sans! Red seemed to be as eager as Sans for a change in subject, because he picked up the bottle of wine. “How about we have a drink? It’ll make this super romantic.” Sans looked up, smiling, grateful that they had a distraction.

“Yes, let’s drink!”

Sans and Red drank wine and ate the rest of their food for the next hour or so, Sans still mesmerised by the twinkling stars above. Red would occasionally kiss Sans on the cheek, making him blush, but he didn’t try to kiss him on the mouth again, which disappointed Sans slightly. He didn’t want Red to think he didn’t enjoy kissing him, or that he thought Red was disgusting, after their conversation. So, once they had finished their picnic and were all packed up, Sans took Red by the hand and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Red looked at him in surprise.

“Red,” Sans said, “I’m going to do it!” Red looked puzzled.

“Er, do what?”

“I’m going to masturbate!” Sans declared, putting his hands firmly on his hips. Red’s eyes went wide, a deep cherry blush appearing on his cheek bones.

“Uh, wow, that’s um, that’s great, Blue.” Red cast his eyes down, and Sans felt his face fall.

“You… you think I shouldn’t?” he asked, dejectedly. Red looked up in surprise.

“What? No, no! I think you should! I think it’s great, it’s just uh… huh, fuck Blue.”

“Language, Red,” Sans scolded. “But… what is it?” Red’s eye-lights were heavy and intense, their colour a bright cherry. He regarded Sans with an expression Sans could only describe as… well, he wasn’t too sure, but the moment Red kissed him, he thought he understood.

The kiss was hungry, Red licking into Sans’ mouth right away, his tongue probing at every inch of it. Red ran his hands down Sans’ ribs, phalanges gently scraping over the bones. After a few seconds, Red slowly pulled back, looking Sans in the eye for a moment, before dipping his head and running his tongue over Sans’ jaw. Sans felt a needy whine escape him, and he jumped back, pulling away from Red’s mouth, and bringing a hand up to cover his own mouth.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—hmph!” His words were cut off as Red kissed him again, one of his hands cupping Sans’ jaw, the other behind his skull, pulling him closer. Sans relaxed into Red, letting the other skeleton explore his mouth, enjoying the taste of him. Eventually, Red broke the kiss, a thin trail of blue and cherry running down his jaw.

“Hah, sorry Blue… it’s just, fuck, that was hot.” Sans blushed, looking down, but Red placed a hand under his chin, bringing his head up and looking him in the eye. “Now I’ve gotta masturbate too.”

 

Later that night, Sans lay in bed, unable to stop himself from thinking about Red. It still felt as if his hands were trailing over Sans’ bones, his soft tongue delving into his mouth, sliding over his jaw. He jumped at the sound of a knock on the door.

“C-come in!” he called, voice slightly shaky. The door opened, and his brother walked in. He looked tired, as he often did these days.

“Hey bro, sorry to wake you.”

“N-no, it’s alright, I wasn’t asleep. What is it?”

Papyrus looked down, scratching the back of his skull uncomfortably.

“Um, would you mind if I, uh, slept in Edge’s room again tonight? I-I’m sorry, if you want me here I’ll—”

“No, Papy, don’t be silly. Of course it’s fine.” Sans smiled at his brother, who seemed to lighten up.

“Are you sure? You won’t be lonely or—”

“Not at all!” Sans affirmed, and Papyrus seemed to relax.

“Thanks bro. Sleep well then.”

“W-wait, Papy…”

Papyrus turned.

“What’s up?”

“U-um, how was your… your meeting with—with Alphys? Did… did you find out…?”

Papyrus’ expression darkened slightly, and the look of exhaustion on his face seemed to deepen.

“Um, yeah… it’s…” Papyrus trailed off, looking pensive.

“Oh, don’t worry, Papy! You don’t have to talk about it.” Sans gave his brother what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “G-Goodnight.”

Papyrus smiled weakly.

“’Night, Sans.”

Sans breathed a small sigh of relief when Papyrus closed the door. As much as he loved his brother’s company, he did want to be alone tonight. His mind drifted, once again, to Red. The passionate way he’d kissed him today, how he’d pulled Sans close, held him against himself, ran his hands down Sans’ body. As these images played through his mind, Sans hesitantly reached his hand down into his shorts, and felt a warm pool of blue magic surrounding his pelvic bone.

Very slowly, he pressed two fingers against it, sighing as a small spasm of pleasure ran through him, and Sans wondered if Red was doing the same thing downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the Spicyhoney 'date'......... to Alphys' lab. So probably not very romantic.  
> I just wanted to get some Cherryberry in, they've been feeling neglected recently.  
> Hope you all enjoyed! xx


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short because I split it up from the next one, but I should be able to post the second bit soon!

“You are not to go anywhere with Alphys alone while we are here. And don’t let her give you any strange substances without consulting with me first. In fact, it would be best if you didn’t leave my side for this entire visit. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Papyrus rolled his eye-lights. They were standing outside the door of Alphys’ lab in Hotland, and Edge was giving Papyrus a surly look. They weren’t touching, and Papyrus could practically feel the tension radiating off Edge. Slowly, he reached out a hand, lightly touching Edge’s arm. “Hey, it’ll be okay. I promise.” Edge visibly relaxed as Papyrus ran his fingers gently over his own, but his expression remained stoical. At that moment, the door opened, and Edge and Papyrus quickly drew away from each other, Papyrus clasping his hands behind his back. Alphys was standing at the door, her arms clutched around a wad of notes.

“E-Edge, Undyne told me you were c-coming,” she stammered. “I’m sorry I d-didn’t really have time to clean up. I-if I’d known sooner, I would’ve—”

“It’s not a problem, Doctor Alphys,” said Edge, voice stiff. “Let’s just get this over with.” Alphys nodded, glancing anxiously up at Papyrus, who gave her a small smile. She looked away quickly, turning and heading inside the lab. Edge indicated for Papyrus to follow, and the two of them walked inside, Edge hovering close to Papyrus, but not touching him. Alphys hadn’t been lying about the mess. Every surface was covered in a myriad of papers, empty test tubes, strange gadgets—and several anime figurines. Alphys led them up a flight of stairs and into what looked like a bedroom. Only there was a worktable at the far end—probably the neatest one Papyrus had seen so far. A set of test tubes were lined up along the back of it, as well as a few needles, which had been lain out in ascending order of size. Papyrus shivered slightly at the sight of them – he’d never been awfully fond of needles. The rest of the table was empty, although judging by the pile of seemingly random garbage beside it, Papyrus guessed it was not usually this tidy.

“So, um, what is this about?” Alphys asked, stopping in front of the table. “I mean, uh, Undyne’s text was p-pretty vague… but she m-mentioned that it had something t-to do with what happened to y-you, yesterday…” Alphys trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

“It does,” said Edge, eye sockets narrowed into a harsh expression. Papyrus felt a twinge of sympathy for Alphys, who already seemed very nervous. He knew how intimidating Edge could be when he tried—and he seemed to be trying pretty hard at the moment.

“A-and what about… him?” Alphys asked, indicating at Papyrus.

“He has a name,” Edge scathed.

“I-I’m sorry,” Alphys stammered, looking up at Papyrus, “um…”

“You can call me Stretch,” Papyrus said, smiling. He felt a flicker of annoyance at Edge for being so brash.

“R-right,” said Alphys, looking at her feet. “S-so, um, Edge, can you tell me what the p-problem is? I m-mean, I assume it has something to do with your s-soul, judging by the way y-you were c-clutching your chest on the surveillance yesterday…” Papyrus frowned slightly. Surveillance? He decided it must be something to do with Edge’s work. Something ‘classified’, as Edge always told him - a little to his irritation.

“I’m not saying anything until Undyne gets here,” said Edge, glaring at Alphys. Papyrus shot him a look, but Edge was ignoring him. Papyrus scowled to himself.

“Undyne w-won’t be here for another t-twenty minutes,” said Alphys. “You might as well j-just explain while we wait.” Edge’s expression turned dark, his eye sockets narrowing.

“I said, I’m not telling you _anything_ until Undyne gets here.” Edge’s voice was almost a growl, and Papyrus saw Alphys wince slightly.

"Edge, come on," he said, placing a hand on Edge's shoulder. "What's the big deal? It's not like she's going to try and pull your soul out of your chest and try to stick needles in it. It's just a simple diagnosis."

Edge turned to frown at Papyrus.

"It's not my soul I'm worried about." Papyrus gave him a strange look, but Edge turned his attention back to Alphys. "You're not getting anywhere near his soul," he growled, and Alphys flinched. Unable to stand this anymore, he turned to regard Edge with a glare.

“For fuck’s sake, Edge, what is your problem? Just fucking tell her.” Edge shot a glower in Papyrus’ direction.

_“Don’t tell me what to do, whelp.”_

Papyrus flinched slightly. He knew Edge tended to get overly assertive when they were in the presence of other monsters, but it was still always a bit confronting to hear Edge talk that way, especially to him. But Papyrus wasn’t deterred. Steeling his expression, he sighed.

“Fine then, I’ll explain.” Edge’s eye sockets widened as Papyrus turned to face Alphys, a sarcastic smile plastered onto his face. “You see Doctor, Edgy here has this little problem.”

“Pap—Stretch, don’t you fucking—”

“When he is away from me for too long, his soul starts to ache – like _really_ ache,” Papyrus continued, ignoring Edge. “Like, _my-boyfriend-just-dumped-me-over-text_ ache—oh don’t worry, Edge, I’d never do that to you.” Papyrus gave Edge an affectionate pat on the shoulder, and Edge glared at him, a crimson blush on his cheek bones. “Except this pain is physical. He described it as… what was it Edge?” Papyrus regarded Edge, who was seething. “Oh yes, he said it felt like his soul was being ‘ripped out of his fucking chest’—direct quote. Oh, and it also seems to make him kinda horny. Now I don’t know if that’s a side-effect of this soul thing, or if that’s just how he is in general, but—”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Edge snapped, and Papyrus shut his mouth smirking. Alphys looked like she was trying to stifle a giggle, her eyes wide. Edge turned to give him a look that Papyrus could only describe as a death-glare, his scarred eye socket sparking slightly. Papyrus smirked, putting an arm around Edge’s shoulder, and giving him a mock-sympathetic look.

“Hey, it’s okay, Edge. I’ll have sex with you whenever you want. You don’t need to go on a soul-breaking quest just to get me in bed.” Papyrus gave Edge an innocent look, and Edge blushed deeply, shoving him away.

“W-wait,” said Alphys, glancing back and forth between them. “Are you two… a c-couple?”

“Not for long if he continues to behave this way,” Edge grumbled, shooting Papyrus a cold glare. Papyrus rolled his eyes.

“Please, you wouldn’t last a day without me, you horny bastard.” Alphys started giggling again, and Edge’s blush deepened, his left eye socket flaring.

“Alright, that’s enough, you degenerate little brat!” he snapped, and Papyrus did his best to stifle a snort. He turned to regard Alphys, gaze still steely. “Well, since my pernicious companion blabbed the details of my… condition, I suppose we might as well make the best use of this time. What is your diagnosis, Doctor?” Edge shot Papyrus another glare, before focusing his attention on Alphys, who seemed to be thinking.

“Well… you said that your s-soul—that it hurt when you were away from—from him?”

“Hurt is a bit of an understatement,” said Edge, grimacing. “But yes, that is the essence of it.” Alphys nodded, frowning slightly.

“What kind of pain was it?”

Edge frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“W-well, can you describe how it felt? I mean, was it like a stinging pain, a constant ache, a cramping pain?”

“Wow,” said Papyrus, “there sure are a lot of ways to suffer.”

“Well,” Edge said, ignoring Papyrus, “I suppose it could be described as a sort of… tugging pain. Like my soul was trying to escape my chest—like it was telling me to get somewhere. To get to… Stretch.” He looked up at Papyrus for a second, before quickly turning his attention back to Alphys. Papyrus felt his own soul clench slightly. Edge hadn’t told him that detail. But Alphys seemed intrigued.

“Oh… sort of like it was—pulling you towards him?” she asked. Edge nodded, narrowing his eye sockets slightly.

“Yes. Yes, exactly like that. How did you—”

“I-I think I might know what the p-problem is,” said Alphys. “C-can you tell me when it started?”

“About two weeks ago,” said Edge.

“And was there anything that m-might have set it off?” Alphys gave Edge a deliberate look, as if she already knew the answer.

“W-well,” Edge began, looking away suddenly. Papyrus felt a twinge in his soul. He knew the events of two weeks ago were rather uncomfortable to recall. Edge cleared his throat. “Um, I… I did, uh—”

“He healed me,” Papyrus interjected, Edge falling silent and looking at the floor.

“Healed you?” Alphys asked, looking slightly skeptical.

“Yeah. Like, a lot.” Papyrus figured that Alphys probably knew there was more to it than that, because she frowned for a moment. But she seemed to decide that his answer was sufficient, because she nodded.

“W-well, I suppose that it is possible that an extreme amount of healing could cause… um…” Alphys drifted off suddenly, a strange expression crossing her face.

“What is it, Alphys?” Edge asked, keenly observing her.

“Um, well the thing is… I, um, c-can’t be certain if my theory is c-correct unless I s-see Stretch’s s-soul for myself—”

“Absolutely not,” Edge snapped, and Alphys fell silent, twisting her hands together. “Not until Undyne gets here.” Edge turned to regard Papyrus with a cold glare. "See? This is exactly why I didn't want to tell her." Papyrus frowned, sighing. He figured it would be pointless to try and convince Edge otherwise.

"Yeah, I hear you, git."

“It's o-okay,” said Alphys, quietly. "F-fair enough. B-but can you tell me… has Stretch been getting at all… tired, recently?” Edge frowned, looking at Papyrus, whose soul stuttered slightly.

“What do you mean?” Papyrus asked, cautiously.

“I m-mean, have you found that y-you’re getting tired more quickly, or that y-you sleep a lot?”

Papyrus frowned.

“Well… yes, actually.”

“A-and what about you, E-Edge?” Alphys looked nervously at the rougher skeleton. “What has your s-sleeping schedule been like?” Edge regarded Alphys with an unreadable expression, but something flickered in his eye-lights.

“Minimal,” he replied. “I’ve barely slept at all in the past two weeks.” Papyrus looked at Edge, his frown deepening. A sense of unease was creeping over him. "How did you know that?" Edge asked, eye sockets narrowed at Alphys, whose brow was furrowed, as if she was thinking.

“W-well… I think I might know what the issue is.”

She fell silent for a moment, looking uncomfortable.

“Well don’t hold back, what is it?” Papyrus asked, feeling frantic. Alphys looked up, her expression troubled, hands fidgeting.

“L-look, this is kind of… kind of d-dark stuff. I don’t know if I should—”

“For heaven’s sake, Alphys, just tell us!” Edge growled, and Alphys flinched. She then sighed, looking at Edge with a grave expression.

“I—I think there might be a piece of your soul within Stretch’s.”


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet! Woo!  
> Sorry if there are some errors, I was in a bit of a rush so I didn't have time to fully proofread it, but I hope it's alright!

Papyrus froze, staring at Alphys in bewilderment.

“Um, excuse me Doctor, I take issue with that diagnosis, um—what the fuck?”

Alphys looked grim, her hands twisting together nervously.

“I-I’m sorry, I d-don’t know what t-to tell you, it’s—”

“Just—just give me a moment,” said Papyrus, gritting his teeth. “There is a piece… of—of Edge’s soul? Inside of mine?” Alphys nodded, looking down, and Papyrus gave a dry, humourless laugh. “Ha, well. Fuck me.” His soul was thrumming hard, and just the thought of it, there in his chest, sent an uncomfortable jolt through his whole body.

“I-I mean, that’s just one p-possible theory,” Alphys stammered. “B-but, given w-what you’ve told me, it does s-seem rather plausible.” She fell silent, staring at her feet.

“But—but how is that even possible?” Papyrus asked, persistent. “How can part of his soul be _inside of mine?_ It—it’s—it’s not possible.” Papyrus could hear the distress in his own voice. His mind suddenly flitted back to what Edge had told him earlier this morning. He’d said he’d seen a flicker of red in Papyrus’ soul. But when they’d looked, Papyrus hadn’t been able to see anything, and had assumed Edge must have been imagining it, or had just been seeing remnants of his healing magic. But now… what if _that_ had been the part of Edge’s soul. The part that was inside Papyrus’ own. He subconsciously brought a hand up to his chest, feeling the nervous thumping of his own soul. He wondered if he was feeling a part of Edge’s soul as well. He quickly brought his hand down, clasping it behind his back.

“Well, it-it could have happened if y-your soul was… was d-dying…” Alphys trailed off, looking somber, and Papyrus’ soul lurched. “I-if it couldn’t support itself, Edge’s soul m-might have tried to give it a s-support of some kind, like…”

“Like a piece of my own soul,” said Edge, and Papyrus almost jumped. He’d been so quiet, Papyrus had almost forgotten he was there.

“Y-yes,” Alphys said, quietly.

“So why, if my soul is supposed to be supporting his, does it cause him to get tired all the time?” Edge asked, looking dubious. “Isn’t that rather… counterproductive?”

“Um, well, actually… the whole healing part is just a means to an end,” said Alphys, wistfully.

“To what end?” Edge asked, narrowing his eye sockets.

“L-listen, Edge, I told you this stuff was dark, I d-don’t want—”

_“Tell me, Alphys,”_ Edge hissed, and Alphys winced.

“W-well, the purpose of g-giving a piece of your soul to someone else isn’t t-to keep _them_ alive, r-rather, it’s to… to drain them."

"D-drain them?" Edge's voice cracked slightly.

"Y-yes, like… like a sort of p-parasite. And their soul is... the host.” Alphys fell silent, looking grim, and Papyrus felt Edge tense next to him.

“That’s… that’s why I’ve been so tired recently,” Papyrus murmured, stunned. “And Edge he—he hardly needs to rest at all, because—”

“Because you’re doing all the resting for me.” Edge’s tone was sour, and he was grimacing. “I’ve been—been taking your strength.” Papyrus reached out a hand and placed it on Edge’s arm, soothingly.

“Edge, it’s okay, it’s—”

“It’s not okay!” Edge spat, pulling away, and Papyrus flinched. “The whole point of me healing you was so that—so that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen! So that you wouldn’t get hurt. But I’ve just made it worse.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Edge, no you haven’t.” Papyrus looked at Edge intently. “If you hadn’t healed me, I’d be dead.”

Edge sighed.

“Well, be that as it may, my soul is now draining magic from yours. Stealing back the life it gave you. That was not what I intended when I brought you back from the dead.” Papyrus rolled his eye-lights at Edge’s dramatics.

“Okay, Captain Edgelord, there’s no point whining about it now.” He turned to Alphys. “Just tell us how we can fix it, Doc, and we’ll be on our way.” He looked at Alphys expectantly. But her expression remained grave.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t think there’s a-any way to r-reverse it,” she said, voice small. Papyrus felt his soul slump. It wasn’t so much that he minded sleeping a lot, especially not when it was for the sake of powering Edge’s soul. Somehow, despite the rather… lurid circumstances, the idea that he was giving life to a piece of Edge’s soul made him feel a little… warm and tingly. But Papyrus didn’t like the fact that distance between the two of them could cause Edge pain. As much as Papyrus loved being close to Edge, he knew they couldn’t just stay within three inches of each other forever. Especially considering that one of these days, Papyrus and Sans would be going back to their own universe. What would happen to Edge if…? Papyrus shook off the thought. That was a problem for another time.

“Well, there must be something you can do,” said Papyrus, feeling a little frantic. “I mean, we can’t live like this forever. For fuck’s sake, Edge can barely breathe when I leave the room. And, as flattering as that is, I don’t think he enjoys it very much.”

“I—I don’t know… I’m s-so sorry, I wish there was something I c-could…” Alphys drifted off, looking somber.

“Well—well what about like—like surgery or something? I mean surely…” Papyrus trailed off as Alphys shook her head.

“S-souls aren’t really something y-you can just do s-surgery on. It would—it could k-kill you… both of you. A-and I have n-no idea what would h-happen to you, Stretch, i-if you didn’t have that p-piece of Edge’s soul inside you anymore. Y-you might… die.” Alphys looked away, her expression grim, and Papyrus felt a pinch of despair.

“So there’s nothing?” he asked, dejectedly. _“Nothing_ you can do to… to stop Edge from… from…”

“From draining the life out of you?” Edge asked, dryly. Papyrus glared at him.

“Actually, I was going to say, from having a heart attack every time I’m not within the general vicinity, asshole.”

Edge scowled at Papyrus, who rolled his eye-lights, and looked back at Alphys, who was looking thoughtful.

“W-well, if it’s just the pain, I m-might actually have something… I h-have been working on this sort of n-narcotic to remedy pain in… in the soul.” Papyrus looked at her in surprise.

“Why would you have something like that?” he asked.

“I, um…” Alphys drifted off, and her eyes flitted to Edge, who Papyrus saw giving a small, but deliberate shake of his head. “J-just… experimental purposes,” she said. Papyrus felt doubtful, and was about to press Alphys for more details, when there was a loud knock on the door downstairs.

“Um, that must be Undyne,” said Alphys, “I’ll go let her in!” She hurried downstairs, leaving Edge and Papyrus alone. Papyrus looked at Edge, each passing second rife with tension. Eventually, Edge spoke.

“Papyrus…” His voice was soft, almost defeated. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you. I didn’t mean to—I never meant—” Edge broke off as Papyrus grasped both of his hands in his own, looking into Edge’s eye-lights intently.

“Of course you didn’t Edge, I know that. I know that what you did was to save me.” They stood for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes. Papyrus felt his soul thump heavily at the feeling of Edge’s hands in his own, the way his eye-lights grew brighter when Papyrus looked directly at him, the thought that there was a piece of Edge’s soul inside him…

“Well, isn’t this romantic?”

Edge and Papyrus jumped, quickly pulling away from each other to look at Undyne, who had just appeared at the top of the stairs, Alphys in her wake. She was smirking slightly, hands on her hips.

“Captain,” Edge greeted, voice suddenly formal.

“’Sup, Edge? You two finished your moment? You gonna tell me why you dragged me here when we have some…” Undyne trailed off, her good eye darting to Papyrus. He really wasn’t enjoying being kept out of the loop with whatever confidential information they all kept almost slipping up on. Undyne gave Edge a cynical look, eye narrowed slightly.

“Apologies, Captain. I understand that our… case, is very important. But this couldn’t wait.” Undyne raised her eyebrows.

“Well? You gonna explain?” Undyne was looking irritated.

“Um, Undyne, the thing is…” Alphys began, but she suddenly looked anxious, “w-well, uh…”

“Yes?” Undyne persisted, narrowing her good eye.

“Um, it’s…” Alphys glanced nervously at Edge and Papyrus, as if looking for support. Edge looked uncomfortable, and cleared his throat.

“Well, Captain, the thing is, um…”

“There’s a piece of Edge’s soul inside mine,” Papyrus said, rolling his eye-lights, and everyone went quiet, staring at him. Edge and Alphys looked bewildered, but Undyne just raised her eyebrows at him.

“A piece… of his soul?” she asked, dubiously.

“Yep,” said Papyrus, shrugging. “And when I’m too far away, his soul hurts. Also, apparently his soul is like a parasite, and it feeds off mine, so I’m always really tired, and he has all this energy. Also, I’m kind of weak all the time, so I can’t really use my magic much. Oh, and the best part? It’s irreversible. Ha.” Everyone was still looking at him in stunned silence. “Did I leave anything out?” he asked, looking at Edge and Alphys. “Oh wait, yeah—Edge gets horny a lot.” Edge turned to him, eye-lights flaring.

“You didn’t need to include that part!” he hissed. Papyrus saw Undyne give a wave of her hand.

“’Course he did, Edge, it’s for science.” She was smirking slightly, and Edge glared.

“Well, um, I’d better go get the, uh, p-pills,” said Alphys, turning towards the staircase.

“That won’t be necessary, Doctor Alphys,” Edge said, his tone low. Alphys turned, frowning.

“B-but Edge, they’ll help you with—”

“Do you really think I’m foolish enough to accept some ‘narcotics which you’ve been working on’?” Edge asked, narrowing his eye sockets. Papyrus sighed, and he saw Undyne raising an eyebrow.

“E-Edge, they’re not… they’re… completely s-safe. I h-haven’t run into any p-problems with them, I don’t—”

“Yes, Doctor, you misunderstand me.” Edge’s tone was bored, but his expression was steeled, his posture stiff. “This is not a matter of me not trusting in your abilities—this is a matter of me not trusting you.”

Everyone went silent, staring at Edge. Alphys almost looked as if she were shaking, her hands twisting nervously in her lab coat, and she was staring at the floor. Papyrus felt a flicker of irritation towards his counterpart, not only because of his brashness, but also because of his lack of concern for his own well-being.

“I thought self-destructiveness wasn’t a trait inherent of all the… Papyruses,” Papyrus hissed, so that Undyne and Alphys couldn’t hear. Edge turned to regard in with a cold stare.

“Taking those pills _would_ be self-destructive, you naïve idiot,” Edge spat, and Papyrus flinched slightly. “Once again, your lack of understanding of this universe is affecting your better judgement.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Edge?” Papyrus could feel a burning rage within his soul. “You’re so—so hypocritical. All you care about is—”

“Hey, are you two gonna keep having your private little conversation over there?” Undyne called. Edge and Papyrus looked up. Undyne was looking tired. “Look, Edge, you obviously can’t function without your… _boyfriend_ at your side at all times, and you’re certainly not bringing him to work with you, so…” Undyne sighed. “So I hate to do this but, if you don’t take these—these fucking pills then you’re off the case.”

Edge’s eye sockets widened, his expression looking panicked.

“Captain, you can’t—you can’t do that! I’m—I’m your best fighter, and—and I know the most about…” Edge’s gaze flickered to Papyrus, who sighed. “About the case. You can’t—”

“Uh, yeah, I’m the Captain and I can, moron,” Undyne said, rolling her eye. “And you’re not a very good fighter when you’re clutching your chest in agony because you’re away from your sweetheart over here. Just take the fucking pills, Edge.”

Papyrus glanced at Edge, who was seething. He was looking very conflicted.

“I—I can’t…”

“E-Edge if—if it gives you s-some peace of mind, I—I’ll take one of them t-to prove that… that I haven’t… tampered with them,” Alphys said.

“There you go, Edge,” said Papyrus, giving Edge a patronising look, and Edge glared at him. “You don’t think Alphys would poison herself, do you?”

“Well—well how can I be sure that—that Alphys doesn’t have some sort of antidote she’s hoarding, and… and that she won’t take it as soon as I’ve gone, and—”

“Oh come on, Edge,” Undyne said, sounding irritated. “That’s a reach and you know it.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Edge muttered, scowling. Papyrus gave Alphys a sympathetic look, then turned to glare at Edge.

“Well, I’ve given you your options, Edge,” said Undyne. “Make a choice.”

There were several moments of charged silence. Edge was glancing between everyone, his teeth gritted. Eventually he sighed.

“Fine, fine! God, you’re all so damn persistent.” Edge scowled. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked, glaring at Alphys, who looked up, startled. “Go get them then.”

“R-right!” Alphys squeaked, turning back to the stairs.

“I’ll come with you,” said Undyne, following her.

“Wait,” Papyrus called, stopping Alphys and Undyne in their tracks. “Don’t you want to see my soul?” Alphys’ eyes went wide.

“S-see it?”

“Yeah.” Papyrus shrugged. “I mean, I know all the evidence points to… weird parasitic soul bond, or whatever, but shouldn’t we at least confirm? I mean, you said earlier that you’d need to see my soul before you could be sure…”

“Oh, um, right.” Alphys looked a little awkward. “Sure, I don’t s-see why not.” Alphys began to approach, but froze in her tracks when Edge spoke.

“I don’t see why this is necessary.” His voice was scathing. “We know what the problem is, you can’t fix it. There’s no need for this.”

“Heh, I dunno dude, I kinda just wanna see what it looks like.” Papyrus gave Edge a nonchalant expression, but Edge was still frowning.

“Well then, we can look when we get home. We don’t need _them_ here to see it as well.” Edge’s glare was focused on Alphys, who was fidgeting uncomfortably.

“Ngah, come on Edge, just let her take a look at his soul. What’s the big deal?” Undyne had raised an eyebrow, her arms folded across her chest.

“I—I won’t hurt him, I promise,” said Alphys, still fidgeting. Papyrus leaned close to Edge, resting a hand on his arm, whispering slightly.

“I’ll let you hold it.” He smirked at the slight shudder his words sent through Edge’s body, his crimson eye-lights widening slightly. He glared at Papyrus, pulling away.

“Now is not the time to be lewd.” Edge’s voice was low, so that only Papyrus could hear.

“Later then?” Papyrus asked, winking. Edge frowned, before turning to regard Alphys and Undyne.

“For fuck’s sake, fine! Since you’re all so fucking insistent. Let’s just get this over with.”

Edge continued to scowl as Alphys led Papyrus to a chair near her worktable, instructing him to sit down. She pulled on a pair of gloves.

“Now, um, how would you like your soul to b-be… extracted? I can use a few tools I have or…” Alphys drifted off, looking awkward.

“Edge can do it.” Papyrus grinned at Edge, who was blushing slightly. Alphys looked up at him.

“Uh, Edge… you—”

“Ugh, yes, yes, I’ll do it!” he snapped. Papyrus felt a little guilty at the amount of joy he was gaining at Edge’s expense. Edge crouched down beside Papyrus, glaring at him as he yanked up his hoodie, revealing the faintly glowing amber soul beneath it.

“Save that enthusiasm for the bedroom, Edgy,” Papyrus whispered, and Edge’s blush deepened. Papyrus then had to force himself not to gasp, as Edge reached into his chest, abruptly drawing out the golden-orange organ, and holding it in his hand. Edge smirked slightly at him, and then, very lightly, ran a single finger over the glowing soul – barely touching it. Papyrus gritted his teeth to stop himself from making any unsavoury noise. Edge immediately stopped when Alphys stood beside him – not needing to crouch to be level with him – examining the soul closely.

“Um, it’s a bit too light to see p-properly.” She turned to look at Undyne, who was standing above them. “Undyne, would you mind, uh…” Undyne nodded, heading over to the far end of the room, and flicking off the light switch. They were instantly shrouded in darkness, and Papyrus’ honey coloured soul emitted a small orb of illumination. Alphys squinted, examining it closely, shuffling a bit so she could see it from all sides. “Hmm, I d-don’t see anything,” she said, after a few moments. “I still don’t think it’s bright enough to notice yet.”

“Well, then we just need to get his soul to glow brighter,” said Undyne, shrugging. “Best way to do that is arousal. So, go on Edge, fuck him.”

Alphys and Edge looked up at Undyne in shock, Edge’s cheek bones flaring crimson. Papyrus failed to suppress a snort.

“Yeah, go on Edge, fuck me.”

Edge looked utterly bewildered. He shot Papyrus a confounded glare.

“Y-you can’t—what are you—n-no! How can you—”

“U-um, actually, I can just grab an energy drink from downstairs, that usually does the trick,” said Alphys, looking slightly flustered herself. She quickly darted out of the room, and Edge turned to give Undyne a glare of indignation.

“W-why—how could you say that!” he hissed, looking perplexed. Undyne rolled her eye, shrugging.

“Please, you two have been eye-fucking each other for the past ten minutes. Someone had to say it.”

Edge looked at her in bewilderment, then at Papyrus, as if expecting some kind of support, but Papyrus just shrugged.

“She has a point, you know.”

Edge growled, hand squeezing slightly around Papyrus’ soul as he clenched his fists, causing Papyrus to emit a small sound of surprise. Oh well, he thought, at least he was managing to control his… other magic.

“I’m so sick of you two,” Edge said, scowling, and both Papyrus and Undyne grinned. “Where is Alphys with that damn drink?”

“Damn, so, you two are like, a thing?” Undyne asked, ignoring Edge. Papyrus nodded.

“What about you and Alphys?” he asked, and Undyne’s visible eye went wide.

“W-what! I don’t like her! What gave you that idea? Was it Edge? You know he likes to lie!” She glared at Edge, who was smirking slightly.

“Oh please, Undyne,” he said, “you’re more obvious than a fish in Hotland.” Both Undyne and Papyrus stared at Edge in bewilderment.

“Was that… a joke?” Papyrus asked, cautiously. Edge smiled at him.

“Nyeh heh, you think you’re the only one who can be funny?”

Papyrus tried to find an answer, but his words seemed caught in his surprise. Fortunately, Alphys came trotting up the stairs at that moment, holding a can of something. Papyrus couldn’t tell what though, it was too dark.

“S-sorry!” Alphys apologised, hurrying over to them. “I couldn’t find the energy drinks! This was the last one. It’s so strange, I could’ve sworn I had a whole pack just the other day…” Papyrus didn’t miss the guilty expression on Undyne’s face, and he wondered briefly what could’ve driven her to drink a whole pack of energy drinks. Alphys handed him the can, and he took a sip, grimacing slightly. “Uh, yeah, they don’t taste great,” Alphys said, grinning sheepishly. Once Papyrus had finished about half of the can, the effects were almost immediate. He could feel the faint buzz of energy running through his body, and the glow from his soul grew brighter, casting an orange shine across the room. Alphys stood beside Edge once again, peering at Papyrus’ soul. He had to admit, he was beginning to regret suggesting this – it felt rather invasive having his soul under everyone’s scrutiny. Alphys frowned.

“See anything?” Undyne asked. Alphys squinted.

“No… there doesn’t seem to be any difference.”

Edge rolled his eye-lights.

“I knew this was pointless,” he grumbled.

“Not entirely,” Papyrus mumbled, mostly to himself, his eyes flickering to Edge’s chest. A faint red glow was visible through the dark material of his shirt.

“What was that?” Edge asked, looking at Papyrus.

“Nothing,” he said, quickly. Edge narrowed his eyes. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll tell you later.” Edge held his gaze for a moment, before dropping his eyes back to Papyrus’ soul. Papyrus watched the way his crimson eye-lights seemed to brighten slightly as they fell onto the amber glow. He felt – and saw – his soul pulse slightly, the glow growing a little brighter.

“Well, why don’t you two s-stay here, while Undyne and I go and g-get those pills for Edge,” Alphys said, stepping back. “Just l-let us know if there’s any change.” Alphys walked away, and Undyne followed, crouching down to whisper to Edge as she passed.

“Feel free to fuck him while we’re gone.”

Edge’s cheek bones turned crimson, and he glared at Undyne as she stalked off, grinning. He and Papyrus sat in silence for a few moments, simply gazing at the glowing gold heart before them. Papyrus could feel the faint glow of Edge’s own soul, almost as if it was within his own. Well, actually, he supposed it was. But there was more to it than that. The way Edge looked at him—it seemed to permeate through him, leaving nothing but that warm, safe feeling he got when Edge held him close. Papyrus suddenly felt very sleepy, the effects of the energy drink suddenly seeming to dissipate.

“E-Edge,” he whispered, feeling a little shaky. Edge looked up.

“Papyrus, are you—are you okay? You look a bit…”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Papyrus said, waving him off. “I just feel kind of… kind of…” Papyrus felt his eye sockets drooping, and he slumped forward in the seat, feeling Edge’s arms catching him.

“Hey, whoa, Papyrus, what’s wrong?” Edge’s voice sounded frantic.

“Oh, nothing just… tired…” Papyrus let his eyes drop, unable to keep them open anymore. The last thing he remembered was being lifted up into Edge’s arms, his soul still grasped delicately in the other skeleton’s hand.

 

****

 

Edge saw Papyrus’ eye-lights flickering, and barely had time to grab him before he toppled off the chair.

“Papyrus? Papyrus, can you hear me?”

But it seemed Papyrus had already lost consciousness, his head dropping forward, his breathing become slow and steady. Edge gingerly lifted him off the chair, and into his arms, hand still clasped around his soul. He sighed, figuring Papyrus' daily energy supply had run out. He carried Papyrus downstairs, deciding that he’d best take him home. He didn’t like the idea of being in this lab while Papyrus was incapacitated. Even though the more logical part of his mind told him that there was no way anything bad could happen – especially with Undyne around – this place just gave him an all-round bad feeling that he could never seem to shake. Stumbling slightly in the dark, he managed to find the front door, and was about to leave when he heard Undyne’s voice calling out from behind him.

“Hey, punk! Where are you going?”

Edge turned, still carrying Papyrus in his arms. Undyne and Alphys had just emerged from the elevator leading downstairs, and were approaching him. Alphys had a small bottle clasped in one of her claws.

“I’m taking Pap—Stretch home.”

Alphys looked at him with wide eyes.

“Is he o-okay?” she asked, and Edge narrowed his eye sockets, something suddenly occurring to him.

“He is… unless he has any reason not to be. You didn’t tamper with that energy drink, did you?” The logical part of Edge knew that it was very unlikely Alphys had done anything to the drink – the cap had been sealed when she’d given it to Papyrus. But still, there was little Edge wouldn’t put past her.

“N-no! Of course not.” Alphys looked a little annoyed at this point, and part of Edge couldn’t really blame her. He had been rather harsh on her today. But he wasn’t about to let his guard down around her when Papyrus’ safety was in play.

“Hm. Well then, he must have just crashed from the energy drink.”

“So quickly?” Undyne asked, raising an eyebrow. “Those things usually last hours.” Edge frowned, looking down at Papyrus.

“His energy levels don’t last long these days.” Edge felt a brief slump of guilt in his soul, but he did his best to shrug it off, turning to Alphys and Undyne. “Well, see you later then.”

“W-wait!” Alphys called. “Don’t you want these?” She held up the small bottle, which contained an assortment of red and white pills. Edge narrowed his eye sockets.

"Take one."

"W-what?"

"I'm not going anywhere near those things until you've had one of them, now take one."

Alphys' eyes widened.

"Oh, r-right!"

She quickly extracted one of the white pills from the bottle, and popped it into her mouth. Edge frowned.

"And a red one."

"I-I don't know if I sh-should, they're really quite potent, and—"

"I don't care. Take a fucking red pill." Edge glared at Alphys, who was gritting her teeth.

"O-okay," she whispered, taking one of the red pills from the bottle as well, and tentatively swallowing it. Undyne frowned, casting Edge a dark look.

"Happy, asshole?"

"Hm, for now." He took the bottle from Alphys. “So… what? Do I just take a bunch and hope the pain stops.”

“Um, n-no I wouldn’t recommend that,” said Alphys. “The proper dosage is one of the white pills every four hours, but… if the pain gets excessive you can take one of the red ones – they’re a d-double dosage. Just don’t overdo it. Those things can be pretty strong.” Edge shrugged, and awkwardly pocketed the pills, still supporting the weight of Papyrus in his arms.

“Hey, Edge… what’s that?” Undyne asked, her attention on Edge’s left hand. He looked down, and suddenly realised that Papyrus’ soul was still in his grip.

“O-oh, right.” He made to return it to the sleeping skeleton’s chest, but Alphys stopped him.

“W-wait! Look! What’s—what’s that?”

Edge frowned, lifting the small golden organ so that it was at eye level. For a moment, he couldn’t see anything, only the faint pulsing of amber magic, and the swirling of orange within. But then, for just a split second, he saw it. A flicker of crimson. It was very faint – barely visible within the bright gold, but there it was. The part of his soul.

“Holy shit,” Undyne breathed. “That’s just—wow.”

“Th-that’s—that’s your magic, Edge,” Alphys whispered, her wide eyes staring into the depth of Papyrus’ golden soul. Edge suddenly felt uncomfortable with all this attention on Papyrus.

“Okay, that’s enough, stop gawking,” he said, abruptly, returning Papyrus’ soul to his chest and lowering his hoodie. Undyne and Alphys seemed to snap out of the trance they’d been in, looking up at him.

“W-wow,” Alphys said, her voice quiet. “I-I can’t believe it’s actually true. I’ve never heard of something like this happening before.” Edge narrowed his eyes suddenly.

“Then how are you such an expert?” he asked, suspicion creeping into his soul. Alphys looked up, frowning slightly.

“J-just from r-reading and stuff…”

“Oh really?” Edge regarded her dubiously.

“Oh knock it off, Edge,” Undyne said, rolling her eyes. “She’s a bloody scientist, who knows what goes on in their heads.” Edge continued to stare at Alphys, who looked away, fidgeting with her coat. Eventually, Edge looked up at Undyne, whose eyebrow was raised. “Look, why don’t you just take your boyfriend home? I guess you can take the rest of the day off. It’s not like it’ll make a difference after the hundred other days you’ve decided to skip work.”

“Captain,” Edge lowered his voice suddenly, in case maybe Papyrus could somehow hear him, “any updates? What happened with Catty yesterday?” Undyne looked grave.

“Well, she stopped writhing around about an hour after you left. But now she keeps…”

“Keeps what?” Edge frowned, a growing sense of dread in his soul.

“She keeps warning us,” Undyne said, voice low. “She keeps saying ‘the darkness is coming’ or something like that.”

“The darkness keeps growing,” Alphys corrected. Undyne waved her off.

“Yeah, whatever. Point is, it’s creepy as fuck and she won’t explain what it means.”

“That is… worrying,” Edge said, frown deepening. There was a familiar nagging sense at the back of his mind, but he wasn’t sure why.

“Yeah, no kidding,” said Undyne, dryly. “And there’s something else too. The corrupted monsters—the ones in the Core. They’ve all disappeared.” Edge gave her a puzzled look.

“What do you mean, they’ve disappeared?”

“I mean they’re gone. There’s none there. And we haven’t received any reports since yesterday.” Edge’s soul felt cold. Of course, it would be a good thing if the corruption of monsters had ended, but for them to all disappear so suddenly, it seemed… sinister.

“And the disappearances?” he asked. Undyne looked grim.

“There was one more this morning.”

“So… the corrupted monsters are still being… created, or however it works. But they’re not here anymore? Where are they?”

“Beats me,” Undyne said, shrugging. “But don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.” She looked doubtful though. Alphys was also looking uncomfortable, shifting back and forth on her feet.

“Well, I’ll be in early tomorrow, Captain. We need to get to the bottom of this case. I’m tired of it.”

“Hah, you and me both, punk.” Undyne’s tone was casual, but she looked grave. “Just go get some rest—and take some of those pills! God forbid you start writhing in agony again.” Edge nodded, and bid his farewells to Undyne and Alphys, before carrying Papyrus out the door.

Later that night, Edge was lying in bed. He’d taken two of the pills about ten minutes ago, and was patiently waiting for Papyrus to return. His thoughts idly wandered to what Undyne had said about the corrupted monsters disappearing. Two months ago, Edge would have taken that as good news, but now… He knew there had to be someone behind the corruption, it couldn’t just be random. And those words – ‘the darkness keeps growing’ – why did they sound so familiar? And what were they supposed to mean? Edge couldn’t help but feel that he was missing something – some piece of the puzzle.

His thoughts strayed to what Alphys had said about his soul… and about Papyrus’. How, despite having healed Papyrus to save his life, his own soul was now leeching power off the other. He shuddered at the thought. It felt so… so wrong. So vile. The idea that his soul was using Papyrus’ as some sort of host, slowly draining his magic – it made him feel sick. His thoughts were interrupted as the door opened, Papyrus entering. He looked tired, as always, and Edge’s soul gave a nauseating lurch. That was his fault.

“Well, Sans said he didn’t mind me sleeping here,” Papyrus said, pulling off his hoodie. Edge’s eyes drifted to the faint orange glow emitting from between his ribs. Papyrus pulled on Edge’s black shirt he always slept in, and climbed into bed beside him. “I feel kind of bad though… I haven’t been spending much time with him recently.”

“Well, you can now,” said Edge. “I mean… you could have, any time you wanted before, of course,” he added, quickly. “But I mean, I have these pills now, so I won’t, uh, you know, hurt.” Papyrus smiled.

“So they worked alright? I mean, I was only gone for about ten minutes, and I was right next door, but… no pain?” Edge shook his head.

“No pain. But my soul did still hurt… because I missed you.” He brought a hand behind Papyrus’ skull, leaning forward to kiss him on his forehead. Papyrus snorted, and Edge drew away, frowning.

“Heh, sorry, that was just really cheesy.” Papyrus was grinning, and Edge glared.

“Well then, that’s the last time I try to be romantic.”

“Nah, you do alright. Like…” Papyrus leaned forward, and pressed his teeth against Edge’s. Edge felt Papyrus’ honey coloured tongue sliding against his teeth, and opened his mouth, meeting it with his own crimson one. He relaxed against the feeling of Papyrus’ soft, warm magic, letting it flow through him, like a life-force, like—

Edge suddenly pulled away, and Papyrus opened his eyes, looking at him in surprise.

“Hey, you alright?” he asked, and Edge just nodded.

“Yeah, sorry I just…” Edge sighed. “I hate the way I’m… stealing from you.” Papyrus looked puzzled.

“Stealing from me? How?”

Edge looked down, feeling sullen.

“From your soul.”

Realisation flickered in Papyrus’ expression.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Edge, I—”

“Look, it doesn’t matter, I think I’m just going to go to sleep.” Edge turned his back to Papyrus, a sinking feeling in his soul. He didn’t like to shut the other skeleton out, but it just felt wrong to expect so much from him, when he was basically already draining the life out of him. He closed his eyes, trying to think of something else. Suddenly, he felt a warm pair of arms around his chest. Papyrus was holding him from behind, his head resting against Edge’s shoulder blade. He didn’t say anything, just held Edge, until slowly, his breathing became deep, and Edge felt his chest heaving slowly up and down. Edge snuggled back into him, the tenderness of the hug sending a pleasant glow through his soul.

After a while, Edge fell asleep too, all thoughts of corrupted and parasitic souls pushed from his mind, leaving nothing but the warm feeling of Papyrus, pressed up against him.


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick sin chapter! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

_… Darker_

_The Darkness keeps growing_

_… deeper_

_… negative_

_…_

_…_

_Very_

_Interesting_

_…_

_What do you two think?_

Edge woke up with a start, sweat beading on his skull. He found that he was out of breath, a cold sense of dread hanging over his soul. That… that voice. It was the same. The same as it had been in his other dreams. The dreams he and Red had been having. That echoing voice, the one that seemed to send icicles shooting through his skull. Only, this was the first time he’d heard it speaking proper words. But the speech had been broken – as if parts were missing. And there had been an almost static quality to the words.

“Edge?”

Edge flinched at the sound of Papyrus’ voice. He’d almost forgotten the other skeleton was there. Papyrus was pressed against his side, eyes still closed, one of his arms over Edge’s chest. Edge brought a hand up to caress his forehead.

“It’s alright, go back to sleep,” he said, soothingly. Papyrus nuzzled closer, and Edge felt a sense of relaxation pass over him, slowly pushing the thoughts of his nightmare to the back of his mind.

“What’s wrong?” Papyrus asked, still sounding sleepy.

“Nothing. Just a bad dream.”

Papyrus opened his eyes, and Edge’s soul fluttered at the sight of his warm golden eye-lights.

“Tell me.”

Edge shook his head.

“Nothing worth repeating,” he said, bending his head to kiss Papyrus on the forehead. Papyrus pressed closer to him, Edge wrapping his arms around him. He then brought a hand under Papyrus’ chin, tilting his head up slightly, and kissed him gently on the mouth. The kiss was slow, easy, relaxed. Their tongues met inside Edge’s mouth, Papyrus running his lazily over Edge’s teeth, his breaths soft and quiet.

“Edge?” Papyrus whispered against his mouth.

“What is it?”

“I love you.”

Edge paused his movements, looking into Papyrus’ eyes for a moment, breathing deeply.

“Oh.”

An amused look crossed Papyrus’ face.

“Would you like me to elaborate?”

“Um… yes please.”

Papyrus propped himself up on one elbow, and began trailing a finger over Edge’s chest, drawing patterns against the fabric of his shirt.

“Hmm…” he hummed quietly, still gazing into Edge’s eyes. “I love that look you get when you’re all flustered, and you start blushing.” Unable to stop himself, Edge blushed, drawing a smile from Papyrus. “Yes, just like that. I also love it when you smile – although your scowl is kind of sexy too.” Edge scowled, and Papyrus grinned. “I love how you feel beneath my hands.” Papyrus began trailing his hand down Edge’s ribs, the feeling sending a shudder through Edge’s bones. “I love it when you kiss me.” Papyrus reached up his other hand, placing it on the side of Edge’s face, and leaned in, pressing his tongue against Edge’s teeth, the taste of honey flowing into Edge’s mouth. He kissed Papyrus back, running his own tongue against Papyrus’ magic, letting the warmth permeate through him.

He felt Papyrus’ hand creeping downwards, running over his ribs, his spine, reaching his hip bone. Papyrus held it there, circling the scarred bone with his thumb, their mouths still pressed together. Edge hummed into Papyrus’ mouth, and was surprised to realise that his magic had already started to gather at this pelvis, encouraged by Papyrus’ gently caressing fingers.

“Mm, eager are we?” Papyrus murmured against Edge’s mouth. “So, what will it be today?” Edge ran his tongue against Papyrus’, its sweetness sending a warm spasm through his soul.

“Hmm…wait—what?” Edge drew back in surprise.

“Well,” Papyrus, shrugged, giving him a relaxed smirk, “I know how desperately horny you are.”

Edge frowned.

“I am not—”

“So, I’m letting you choose our… activities for tonight. Just—don’t ask me to ride you. I have virtually no stamina at the moment.”

Edge blushed, glaring.

“I wasn’t going to ask that!”

Papyrus smiled, pressing his mouth against Edge’s neck, nuzzling into him.

“Hmm, why not? You think I can’t handle it?”

Edge pushed Papyrus away slightly, glowering.

“You were the one who just said—”

“Hehe, come on Edgy, make a choice.” Papyrus slid his hand over Edge’s pelvic bone, and Edge’s soul stuttered. “I can tell you’re feeling… heh, _cocky_ , so make it something fun.” Edge scowled as he realised that his magic had indeed started to form, reacting quickly to Papyrus’ touches. An idea suddenly occurred to Edge, and he smirked, moving to whisper against the side of Papyrus’ skull.

“Hmm, well,” he murmured, running his tongue down Papyrus’ jaw. “I’ve always wondered if that mouth of yours is good for anything other than making terrible jokes at my expense.” Edge felt Papyrus chuckling beneath him.

“Hah, well.” Papyrus’ breath hitched slightly as Edge’s teeth scraped against his jaw. “I guess we’ll have to see. If my blowjobs are anywhere near as good as my insults, you’re in for a real treat.” He delved his hand into Edge’s pants, fingers finding Edge’s already half-hard cock. Edge saw a small smirk flicker onto his features, and he drew in a sharp breath as Papyrus ran his hand over the length. Edge reached a hand up to cup Papyrus’ face, staring into his amber eye-lights for a moment, before kissing him softly, their tongues intertwining. “Hmm, I love the way you taste,” Papyrus murmured, “I wonder what your cock tastes like.” Edge felt his member twitch at Papyrus’ words, the other skeleton’s hand still stroking slowly over the magic, which was quickly responding to his touches. Papyrus moved his mouth to Edge’s jawbone, licking over the area lazily, as if savouring the taste. Edge gasped as Papyrus suddenly smoothed his thumb over the head of his cock, and he tipped his head back slightly, giving Papyrus access to his neck. Papyrus licked over the sensitive discs, and Edge’s breathing became deep and fast.

“Hm, if you’re as good with your mouth down there as you are up here, _then_ I’m—ah—in for a real treat,” Edge said, between gasps. He could see Papyrus grinning below him, and he scraped his teeth lightly over Edge’s vertebrae, before shifting his position so that he was situated just below Edge’s femurs, kneeling on either side of his legs. His hand was still on Edge’s cock, but it had stilled, and Edge’s magic was impatient for more. Papyrus slowly pulled Edge’s pants over his femurs, stopping when they reached his knees. Edge’s cock was now completely erect, Papyrus’ hand still firmly grasped around it. He gave it a gentle squeeze, before ducking his head. Edge managed not to whimper when he felt Papyrus’ warm breath on his cock, but he couldn’t control the gasp he emitted when Papyrus ran his tongue delicately over the head.

“Hmm..." Papyrus hummed, making a show of licking up the precum which had started to dribble from the head. “I guess it's an acquired taste.” He smirked up at Edge, who growled.

“For fuck’s sake you little twat, stop teasing—ah!” Edge’s griping was lost in a cry as Papyrus took his cock into his mouth, tongue swirling over the head. Edge clutched onto the sheets, trying to stop himself from thrusting into Papyrus’ mouth. He watched in pure bliss as Papyrus bobbed his head, his tongue still running down the length of Edge’s cock, leaving a trail of that familiar warm magic. “Gah—fuck, Papyrus,” Edge moaned as Papyrus brought a hand to the base of his cock, moving it in time with his mouth. Despite the wonderful feeling of Papyrus warm magic circling him, he was moving at an agonisingly slow pace, his tongue running languidly over the head, and Edge wanted nothing more than to thrust his hips upward, and feel the soft, wetness of Papyrus’ tongue surround his cock. He knew Papyrus was probably going this slowly deliberately, to break him down, to take him to the edge before allowing him to give in to pleasure. Either that, or he was just being a little shit. Edge supposed it was a bit of both, but strangely, he loved it. Suddenly, Papyrus drew away, and Edge huffed slightly, giving him a look of disdain.

“H-hey, who said you could stop?” Edge tried to look indignant, but his cheeks were flushed and his voice slightly shaky. Papyrus just smirked.

“Just thought you might like to know how wet you got me,” he purred, his tongue flickering at the corner of his mouth, and Edge felt an eager jerk of arousal go through him. Papyrus took Edge’s hand, dipping into his own pants, and Edge felt the soft, hot magic, Papyrus’ conjured pussy already dripping with it. Edge’s soul gave a stutter, his cock now inexplicably hard, and he gently dragged a finger over Papyrus’ folds. Papyrus gave a gasp, but pulled Edge’s hand away. “Hah—not just yet,” he breathed, before dropping his head once again, this time taking Edge’s entire cock into his mouth, Edge feeling the head rubbing slightly against Papyrus’ conjured throat. Edge gasped, and, unable to stop himself, he jerked his hips forward, feeling his cock hitting the back of Papyrus’ throat. Papyrus choked slightly, and Edge swore.

“Shit, sorry, I… ah, fuck!”

Edge broke off with a cry, as Papyrus swallowed around him, his throat tightening around Edge’s cock, sending a spasm of pleasure through Edge’s entire body. He instinctively brought a hand to the back of Papyrus’ skull, holding him against his burning magic. Papyrus hummed against his cock, and Edge bucked his hips. Papyrus pressed his tongue against the head, swiping it leisurely back and forth, and Edge began to feel a building pressure in his groin.

“F-fuck, Papyrus, I—ah—I’m close.”

He gasped as Papyrus slowly began to bob his head, gradually increasing the pace. Unable to control the reflex, Edge started giving shallow thrusts of his hips, groaning every time he felt the tip of his cock hit the back of Papyrus’ conjured throat. The burning pressure started to increase, and he suddenly felt Papyrus’ hand reaching up, fingers intertwining with his own. It sent a warm feeling through his soul that had nothing to do with his arousal. Edge’s thrusts became deeper, and he could feel Papyrus’ throat convulsing around his cock. He pushed Papyrus’ head down, hilting in his mouth, his magic hot.

“Ah, fuck, I’m going to—oh fuck, Papyrus…”

Edge groaned as he came, his crimson magic hitting the back of Papyrus’ throat, who didn’t stop his movements, swallowing around Edge’s cock, his magic tight and warm. Edge pressed his head down, savouring the feeling of his mouth, his magic, the sight of him, drinking in Edge’s release. Finally, Papyrus withdrew, and Edge’s soul gave a flip at the sight of his own ruby magic, staining the bones around Papyrus’ mouth, a faint trail of it dribbling down his chin.

“Stars, Papyrus,” he breathed, sitting up and bringing a hand to Papyrus’ cheek. His other hand was still firmly clasped around Papyrus’. “I love you so much,” he said, before leaning close and kissing Papyrus, the spicy taste of his own magic still on Papyrus’ tongue. He felt Papyrus give his hand a gentle squeeze, before breaking the kiss and bringing his arms around Edge, resting his head on his shoulder. Edge heard him give a soft sigh.

“Hm, damn straight you do,” he whispered, his voice a little raspy, and Edge pulled him close, chuckling slightly as he kissed the top of Papyrus' skull. After a few moments, Papyrus let go, and flopped down onto the bed, eyes closed. Edge eyed him; a faint orange blush coloured his cheek bones, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

“Um, are you okay?” Edge asked, tentatively.

“Yeah…” Papyrus’ voice was quiet. “Just kinda tired. Heh, told you I have no stamina...” Papyrus already seemed to be drifting off, and Edge felt guilty all of a sudden.

“Oh, er, you don’t want me to, um,” Edge cleared his throat, indicating towards Papyrus’ crotch, which was still glowing faintly, “do you?” Papyrus snickered slightly.

“Heh, I definitely want you to do me, Edge… but, maybe another time. I’m… pretty spent.” Papyrus brought an arm up over his forehead, eyes still closed. Edge lay down next to him, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, tone serious. “This isn’t because of the… the soul thing is it?” Edge was almost certain it was, an uncomfortable guilt crawling through him.

“Eh, maybe,” Papyrus murmured, already sounding sleepy. “But ‘s fine, as long as you’re here…” Papyrus rested his head on Edge’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around his chest, snuggling close. “Love you…” Papyrus’ breathing became deep, indicating that he’d fallen asleep. Edge put an arm around him, pulling him closer.

“I love you too, Papyrus,” he whispered. Edge gradually followed Papyrus, drifting off into an easy sleep, all thoughts of his nightmare pushed from his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What?? Sin??? In a slow burn fic?? Unacceptable!"  
> Yeah sorry guys, I'll chill. It's only chapter 42 and they've already sinned, like, twice. Utterly disgraceful.
> 
> ..............  
> But.... there will be boning in the (near?) future ¤﹏¤  
> And much more plot!  
> Thank you so much for reading! xx


	43. Chapter 43

“Red?”

“Mmhm?”

“I—I think I want to keep working on the Machine.”

Red dropped his spoon with a clatter, and stared at Papyrus. The two of them were eating breakfast – Red with his usual bowl of mustard, Papyrus with his honey. Sans and Edge had gone to see Undyne, who wanted Sans to keep training. At the keen insistence of Papyrus, Edge had promised to supervise the entire time. It had been about three days since Edge and Papyrus had gone to see Doctor Alphys; they had explained the situation to Red and Sans—that Papyrus had a piece of Edge’s soul within his own. Personally, Red found the whole thing a little creepy. But it seemed that the medication Alphys had given Edge was working, because he’d been to work without complaint, not mentioning any sort of pain when he arrived home. Although Red did notice that he still seemed visibly calmer when he was around Papyrus.

“You—you do?” Red asked, confounded. “Stretch, are you sure? You’re not going to…”

“I’m not going to try and kill myself again, idiot,” said Papyrus, rolling his eye-lights.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean… are you sure you’re strong enough? I know that having, uh, a bit of my brother’s soul means that you have less energy.”

Papyrus nodded, looking slightly somber.

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed. “But Red, with my brother back at training, I… I just—I want to be able to get him home soon. Before…” Papyrus trailed off, his voice barely a whisper. Red sighed, nodding.

“Alright, I get it, dude. But I’m gonna be there with you, okay? It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…”

“It’s just that you don’t trust me.” Papyrus said it with a wry smile, and Red looked at him, grimacing.

“Sorry. But… I just don’t want to take any chances.” Red wouldn’t admit it to Papyrus, judging by the way it had gone last time, but Edge had actually asked him to skip sentry duty for today to keep Papyrus company—and keep an eye on him. He knew Edge trusted Papyrus not to make the same mistakes again, but he also knew how protective his brother was.

“It’s alright, Red, I understand. Besides, it’ll be nice to have some company. I haven’t actually been back down there since…” Papyrus looked down, expression suddenly distant.

“I’ll be there,” said Red, reassuringly. “But not before I’ve finished my mustard. I’m starving.” Red continued to tuck into his extra-large bowl, not missing the way Papyrus’ face contorted slightly. Honey-loving bastard. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Papyrus looked at Red, expression slightly amused. Red slowly shifted his gaze to him, frowning. “What?” he said, through a mouthful of mustard.

“How are things with you and my brother?” Papyrus asked, raising his brow bone. “He’s been awfully chipper recently.” Red felt his cheek bones going slightly warm.

“H-he has?” he asked, his voice going up a pitch. Seeing Papyrus’ smirk, he quickly composed himself, feigning nonchalance. “Er, I mean, he has? That’s cool.” He shrugged, and went back to his mustard, but he couldn’t control the faint blush on his cheeks.

“Yeah, and he keeps telling me what a great kisser you are, how good you are with your hands, how he can’t wait until you two—”

“Wait—what!” Red cried, then seeing the malevolent grin on Papyrus’ face, he glowered, rolling his eye-lights and returning to his mustard. “Oh, fuck you, asshole.”

“Oh dude, you are completely smitten.”

Red’s glare intensified.

“Yeah? Well what about you and Boss? Christ you two are loud—well, just you.” Now it was Papyrus’ turn to blush. Smirking, Red put on a mock high-pitched voice. “‘Oh Edge, fuck me harder’, ‘Oh yeah Edge, give it to me’, ‘Oh Edge, your dick is so—’”

“Shut the fuck up,” Papyrus snapped, his cheek bones glowing. “I’m not loud!” Red raised his brow bone.

“Uh, sure. And Undyne doesn’t have a crush on Alphys. Come on, dude.” Red grinned as Papyrus’ blush deepened.

“W-well that’s—we haven’t even—h-hey you’re just avoiding talking about Sans!” Papyrus was looking flustered. “At least he’s already seen your dick, I suppose, so no surprises there.” Red glared, earning a slight smirk from Papyrus.

“Ugh, fuck you, I still need to get you back for that! You're such a freak - hey, I bet you have some really weird kink I can find out about.” Papyrus waved him off, casually, but Red didn’t fail to notice the way his eye-lights shifted slightly to the left. He grinned. “Hah! So you _do_ have a weird kink? Hmm, what is it though?” Papyrus stood up, rolling his eye-lights.

“Fuck off, dick pic, I’m going to go take a shower.”

“Come on, what is it? I gotta know!” Papyrus only glared at him. “Is it like a size thing? Being tied up? Pet names? Spank—”

“Go to hell, Red,” Papyrus said, scowling. He then frowned, as if something had suddenly occurred to him. “Look, um, there’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Stretch, listen, as much as I enjoy teasing you about it, I really don’t want to hear about what you get up to in the bedroom.”

Papyrus shook his head, rolling his eyes slightly.

“It’s not that, idiot. It’s about resets.”

Red’s smile immediately fell of his face, and his soul did an uncomfortable flip.

“What about them?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not too sure how it works around here, but my brother and I have been here for two months and there hasn’t been one… isn’t that a little strange?” Papyrus gave him a worried look, but Red shrugged.

“Nah, not really. I think I told you before, we hardly ever have resets here.”

Papyrus still looked grim.

“Red, do you know… what happens if there’s a reset while… while you’re in the wrong universe?”

Red’s soul lurched. He looked up in surprise.

“Oh. N-no, I hadn’t actually thought about it. What… what does happen?” he asked, afraid to hear the answer. But Papyrus shook his head.

“I don’t know either. And to be completely honest, I’d rather not find out. You know that resets aren’t that common across the universes? Ours and the Undertale universe are the only ones I know about with… a human.”

Red nodded.

“Yeah, I know.” He frowned, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. “Well, don’t worry about it too much. I’m sure you won’t have to find out what happens if there’s a rest – we almost never have them.”

“It just seems strange, I don’t know… how long ago was the last reset?” Red thought for a moment, trying to remember.

“Uh, I dunno, maybe like a year ago?” Papyrus’ eyes widened.

“A year? In my universe there’s a reset almost every month, sometimes every week.”

“E-every week? Holy shit, Stretch, how many resets have you been through?”

Papyrus looked grim.

“I lost count a while ago. Definitely over a hundred.”

A wave of nausea passed over Red’s soul.

“Fuck, that’s… that’s messed up.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Papyrus shrugged. “Anyway, I’m gonna go have that shower.” Red nodded, still feeling slightly grave. A thought occurred to him, and he smirked suddenly.

“Okay, okay, is it being choked or something?” he asked. Papyrus gave him an odd look.

“What?”

“Your kink? Do you like being choked? Or is it—”

Papyrus sighed, rolling his eyes, flipping Red the finger as he left the room. Red chuckled as he left. Man, seeing how determined Papyrus was to keep this a secret, Red was even more eager to find out what it was.

Still, all Papyrus’ talk of resets had him a little rattled. Even though resets were very infrequent here, Red couldn’t recall the last time he’d gone so long without seeing at least _some_ sign of the human. Occasionally though, they wouldn’t emerge from the Ruins for months, so Red hadn’t been too concerned. Still, he suddenly felt very anxious as to what might happen to Sans and Papyrus should a reset suddenly occur. He knew that resets didn’t erase the existence of other universes from one’s mind – the Machine and its workings seemed immune to them. But he had no idea what might happen to the Underswap brothers if they were in the wrong universe at the time of a reset. They really needed to get that Machine fixed.

 

 

****

 

“Don’t be too heavy on your feet, Blueberry, you need to give yourself more time to react.”

“Hey, asshole, who’s the trainer here?”

Edge was watching as Sans dodged a series of spear attacks from Undyne, who was a little more aggressive than usual today, annoyed that Edge had insisted, once again, that he stay for Sans’ training. Not only did she think that he could be making better use of his time—such as working on the case—he also kept interjecting, giving Sans advice, which seemed to annoy Undyne to no end.

“Just trying to help, Captain,” Edge said, shrugging.

“You’d be a lot more helpful if you shut the fuck up.”

Edge winced as Undyne sent a particularly vicious flurry of spears Sans’ way, which shattered the protective wall of bones he’d managed to pull up at the last minute, sending it splintering in all directions. Undyne pushed Sans to his limits, but she never properly hurt him, always dissipating her magic before it could do too much damage when it caught Sans off guard. Edge had to admit, he was rather impressed with Sans’ abilities. He was very quick to react, seldom too late to dodge, and his magic appeared rather powerful too. Edge did notice that he was rather lacking in the offensive department. Not necessarily because he lacked the skill or power – but more because he lacked the malice. Any of his attempts at attacking Undyne were often slow and easily dodged or defended, and Edge could tell that he was holding back. It seemed Undyne could tell too, because she always frowned when Sans attempted to attack her, but she had yet to comment. Edge watched as Sans conjured up a long sturdy bone, which he began to use as a defensive shield, deflecting the spears that came his way. It was actually a rather impressive technique, Edge noted. Sans seemed incredibly adept with it, wielding the magic as if it was an extension of himself. Which, Edge supposed, it sort of was. Edge noticed a sudden gap in Undyne’s defences, and he leaned close to whisper to Sans.

“Go for the stomach and the chest,” he murmured, “it’s the biggest target.” Sans glanced over at him.

“HEY, EYES ON YOUR OPPONENT, YOU NUGGET!” Undyne yelled, sending one of her trademark backwards swivelling spears. But Sans was quick, angling his body sideways so that he was able to block it with one hand, while using the other to send a sharp arrow-like bone attacks shooting towards Undyne. She managed to block them with a quick flick of her wrist, a red spear throwing them off course. Edge saw Sans silently cursing to himself.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered. “Just wait for another opening, and then try again. You have this, Sans.” Edge’s words seemed to encourage the little skeleton, because he steeled himself once again, and Edge noticed his left eye socket flicker briefly. He easily dodged and blocked Undyne’s next onslaught of attacks, his magic actually looking rather profound, the sturdy defensive walls of bones barely cracking when Undyne’s vigorous spear attacks hit them. Suddenly, Edge saw an opening in Undyne’s stance as she threw all her power into a violent flurry of spear attacks. Sans seemed to notice it too, because he quickly rolled out of the way of the spears, then sent a shockwave of blue and white bones towards Undyne, ripping from the ground and hitting her square in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

Edge froze, and so did Sans, stunned.

“U-Undyne! I’m sorry! Are you o—ah!” Sans gave a yelp as a crimson spear of magic hit in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards into Edge, who caught him by his arms, holding him steady.

“YOU DUMBASS!” Undyne roared, leaping to her feet. “WHEN YOUR OPPONENT IS KNOCKED DOWN, YOU DON’T CHECK IF THEY’RE OKAY, YOU FUCKING FINISH THEM… but, good job.” She gave Sans a yellow-toothed grin, and Edge practically felt the smaller skeleton’s eye-lights sparkling.

“R-really!”

Undyne nodded.

“Yeah, it takes a lot to take me down! Even Edge is still pretty shit at it.” Edge shot her a scowl, which she ignored. “In fact, I think you’re ready for the next step of your training.” Sans gasped.

“I—I am? Wowie!” Edge felt his soul throb with affection as Sans started jumping up and down, squealing.

“Yup!” said Undyne. “We’ll get started on it next time, I think that’s enough for today.”

“I’ll take him home,” Edge said.

“Why? Where’s your brother?” Undyne asked.

“Busy.” Edge kept his expression stoical.

“Busy doing what? Looking after your boyfriend?” Undyne gave a snort, and Edge glared. “Fine, whatever then, _but hurry back.”_ Edge nodded, then turned to Sans.

“Blue, you go on ahead, I just need to speak with Undyne for a moment.” Sans looked surprised, but nodded, scampering off. Once he was gone, Edge turned to Undyne. “Captain, if I may, what exactly is the next step of his training?”

“Well, now that I’ve seen he _is_ actually capable of some aggression, I’m gonna get him to gain some LOVE.”

Edge’s soul dropped.

“What?”

“Yeah,” said Undyne, casually, “I’ve been putting it off because he always seemed to be holding back with his attacks, but now that he’s proven himself, I’m sure he’ll have no problem dusting some fuckers.”

Edge’s soul filled with dread, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. He couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been. Of course Sans had been holding back with his attacks, violence wasn’t in his nature. But Edge had encouraged him—and of course Sans had wanted to impress him. Now… Undyne was going to make Sans do what Papyrus dreaded the most. Edge felt queasy.

“Captain, don’t you think it’s a bit soon? I mean he’s hardly—”

“Rubbish, he’ll be fine. We’ll just get him to dust some assholes who’re getting too rowdy. No big deal.”

“Undyne, he’s not ready. Blue isn’t the type of monster who would just—just kill for the sake of killing. It’s not in his nature. He won’t—”

“He’ll do what I tell him if he wants to get into the Royal Guard,” Undyne said, narrowing her good eye. “And once he’s gained a bit of LOVE, it’ll become easier for him.”

“Is that supposed to be a good thing?” Edge felt his patience waning. “Undyne, just look at him,” Edge said, indicating towards Sans, who was skipping down the path in the distance. “He’s not capable of harming anything. He’s too—he’s too innocent, you can’t—”

“Look, _Edge,”_ said Undyne, tone harsh, “I need warriors in the Royal Guard, not little blueberries who are too afraid to attack when they need to. Every day that fucking monster in the King’s basement repeats the same threat, over and over. ‘The Darkness keeps growing’, ‘ _you’re all gonna die’,_ and whatever bullshit she can come up with. Now, I’ve figured most of it is just crap she’s made up to scare us, but where the fuck do you think all the corrupted monsters have gone? You think they’re taking a fucking holiday?”

“Undyne… we don’t need to—”

Undyne looked incredulous, her eye glinting. “I don’t know what the fuck the Darkness is. I don’t know where these bloody creatures have disappeared to. Hell, we still don't even know what the fuck we're up against. But I’m guessing someone with a lot of LOVE is going to be a hell of a lot more useful than some happy-go-lucky little kid who can’t kill because he’s too _innocent.”_

“Captain—”

“Enough, Edge. Blue is gonna gain LOVE at his next training session, and that’s _final.”_

Edge felt his temper boiling over, his soul flushed with rage.

_“Then he won’t have another training session,”_ he spat, and stormed off down the path after Sans, not waiting for Undyne’s response. He quickly extracted the small bottle of pills from his pocket, swallowing one of the red ones, before catching up with Sans.

“What was that all about?” Sans asked, as Edge approached.

“Nothing,” Edge snapped, a little too harshly. He looked down at Sans, whose starry blue eye-lights were wide. Edge sighed. “Sorry, Blue, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get you home.” Edge took a hold of his hand, feeling a sudden urge to protect the little monster before him. Sans looked up at him, seeming slightly surprised, but he was beaming.

“Okay, Edge.”

Edge didn’t let go of Sans’ hand the entire walk home.

 

****

 

“Yo Red, I’m about to head down, you coming?”

Red looked up from where he was sitting on the couch. He’d been going through his phone—well, Sans’ phone, which he’d grudgingly left behind. They’d decided that it would be better for them to always have at least one of the two cell phones at the house when someone was there, just in case. Papyrus saw Red quickly locking the phone and shoving it in his pocket.

“Uh, yeah sure,” he said, scrambling up from the couch. Papyrus gave him a strange look, but then nodded, heading outside. Red followed him around the house, and to the back door of the basement. When they reached the door however, Papyrus paused, hand on the doorknob. “You okay, Stretch?” Red asked.

“Uh, yeah, fine,” Papyrus said, but his voice was tight. This was his first time going down here since… He shook his head. "Yeah, no, I'm good." He took a deep breath, steeling himself, before opening the door. After another moment’s pause, and another deep breath, he began walking down the stairs, Red just behind him. The last time he’d descended these stairs he’d been… no, no, that was in the past, he needed to forget it and focus on the present.

“Uh, you alright?” Red’s voice came from behind him, and Papyrus suddenly realised he’d stopped walking.

“What—oh, sorry.” He quickly made his way down the remainder of the stairs, reaching the basement. The musty smell hit him almost immediately, sending a shudder through his body, a flash of pain going through his soul. He froze at the bottom of the stairs, unable to keep moving. Suddenly, a swarm of images began playing through his mind.

He was standing in this very basement, all alone, his soul heavy. Papyrus felt his hands shaking slightly, and looked down at them. His vision swam, and he thought he could see bright waves of orange magic, pulsing from his fingertips, draining his soul. He gasped, clutching his chest as another sharp pulse of pain ran through it.

“Stretch? Stretch are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Red’s words became lost in the ringing sound he could hear. Or was it screaming? His vision was still fuzzy, and the room seemed to be spinning. He looked up, and suddenly his eyes fell on a large object. The Machine.

It loomed at the end of the room, an ominous structure, full of his magic. He felt as if it was drawing him towards it, urging him to drain his soul into it, feed it his life-force. He felt another sudden spike of pain go through his soul, and it suddenly felt empty, weak, as if there was nothing left. Papyrus couldn’t breathe. He gasped, his legs shaking. In the distance he vaguely thought he could hear a voice, calling out to him. Was it his brother? He could hear Sans, crying his name, sobbing, screaming. He could hear Edge, begging him not to die. He could hear Red’s angry shouts, telling him that he was selfish for abandoning his brother, and… telling him it was okay, that he was safe… wait, why would he be saying that?

Suddenly, Papyrus opened his eyes, and realised he was sitting at the foot of the stairs, one of Red’s arms around his shoulders, the other across his chest, supporting him. He was running his hands up and down, in soothing motions.

“It’s okay, Papyrus, deep breaths, you’re safe, okay, you’re not dying. You’re here with me, Red, okay? You’re fine, you’re alright.”

Papyrus suddenly noticed that his breaths were coming in short, sharp gasps, and that his cheek bones were slightly wet.

“R-Red?” he gasped, looking at the skeleton beside him.

“That’s right, Papyrus, it’s me, I’m here. You’re alright.”

Papyrus tried to catch his breath, but it seemed caught in his chest, coming out in painful sobs. He look around, and his eyes fell back onto the Machine. The air suddenly seemed to close around him, squeezing his bones, sending spasms of pain through his soul. His mind was bombarded with images. Images of him, trapped in the darkness, the sounds of his brother’s screams, his soul empty, his life slipping away… Suddenly, he couldn’t breathe. He tried gasping out for air, but he couldn’t draw breath, the air around him seeming to crush his chest. A pair of hands suddenly grasped either side of his face, firmly pulling his gaze away from the Machine.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t look there! Look at me, okay? It’s Red, Papyrus? It’s me, I’m here. You’re okay, you got it? You’re fine. _Don’t_ look at it.” Red held Papyrus’ gaze, unyielding, his eye-lights bright and intense. Papyrus still couldn’t find his breath; the air he was trying to pull in seemed empty, incorporeal, as if it wasn’t really air, but a dark emptiness, which seemed to enclose him. He felt Red’s arms close around him, pulling him against him, his hands rubbing gently against Papyrus’ back. “Shh, it’s alright, I’m right here. You’re not in any danger, you’re going to be okay, Papyrus. You’re going to be okay.”

After a few minutes of Red’s words of soothing, and his tight grip around Papyrus, his ability to breathe slowly returned, his gasps turning into shuddering breaths. “Hey, come on, let’s get you out of here.” Red helped Papyrus to his feet, angling himself so that he blocked Papyrus’ field of vision into the basement, and slowly led him up the stairs. Once they were inside the house, Red sat Papyrus down on the couch, bringing him a blanket, which he wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Red sat down next to him, placing an arm around him, and holding his gaze.

“Papyrus, are you okay?”

Papyrus looked at him. Red’s eye-lights were sincere, his expression full of concern. Papyrus’ breaths were still shaky, but he no longer felt as if his chest was being crushed by some invisible weight. But at the same time, his soul felt shrouded in a heavy cloud of dread and despair.

“Red, I’m—”

Papyrus was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. He and Red looked up to see Edge and Sans entering; Sans looking positively elated—Edge, not so much. There was a surliness to his expression that surpassed his usual malicious demeanour. Upon seeing Red and Papyrus on the couch, Edge’s eyes went wide.

“Papyrus? Are you alright?” he asked, rushing over and crouching down beside him. “What happened? Are you hurt?” Sans appeared by Edge’s side, looking over his brother frantically.

“Papy? Are you okay? What—”

“I’m fine, I’m f-fine,” Papyrus said, trying to sound casual, and cursing the way his voice still shook slightly. Sans and Edge eyed him dubiously, the worry not wiped off their faces. “Really, I’m fine,” he said, looking away.

“What happened to him?” he heard Edge asking Red, his voice low.

“He tried to go into the basement, to fix the Machine.”

_“He what?”_ Edge’s tone was incredulous, and Papyrus heard Sans give a small gasp.

“P-Papy! Why would you—”

“I was with him,” Red interrupted, “but he—he had a panic attack.” Papyrus still wasn’t looking at Edge, but he could practically feel his crimson eye-lights burning through him. He felt Edge grip his arms tightly, but he still refused to meet his gaze.

“Papyrus,” Edge said, tone harsh, _“why_ would you do that?” Papyrus finally looked at Edge, meeting his steely gaze with one of his own.

“You know why,” he mumbled. Edge’s frown deepened.

“Papyrus,” his voice was slightly softer, “you know you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do, _Edge,”_ Papyrus hissed, and Edge flinched slightly. “You know I do. We can’t stay here. _Sans_ can’t stay here.” Papyrus’ eye-lights flickered to his brother, who was looking confounded.

“W-what do you mean, Papy?” Sans’s starry eye-lights were quivering. “Why—”

“Papyrus, I need to speak with you in private,” Edge said, suddenly. Papyrus stared at him for a few seconds, Edge’s eyes intense and his gaze deliberate.

“Fine,” Papyrus said at last, unwrapping himself from the blanket, and followed Edge upstairs, feeling Sans and Red’s eye-lights on him. When they reached Edge’s room, Edge sat on the bed, indicating for Papyrus to do the same. “What is it?” he asked, after a few moments of silence.

“Papyrus…” Edge’s voice sounded strained, almost sad. He looked down, not meeting Papyrus’ gaze.

“What?” Papyrus asked, feeling uneasy. Edge took a deep breath, still not looking at Papyrus.

“Today at Sans’ training, Undyne said she wanted him to take the next step at his next session…” A feeling of dread hung over Papyrus’ soul.

“What is the next step?” Papyrus could hear the panic in his own voice. Edge looked grave, not meeting Papyrus’ gaze.

“Papyrus, look…”

“Edge, _what is the next step?”_ Edge finally looked up at him, expression grim.

“You know,” he said. Papyrus shook his head.

“No,” he gasped, “no… no, no, no…”

“She wants him to gain LOVE, Papyrus.”

“No, no, no,” Papyrus’ breathing became frantic, angry tears already brimming at his eye sockets. “No, Edge, she—she can’t! We can’t—we can’t let her! S-Sans…” Papyrus broke off, choking on his words. Edge’s expression was one of utter sympathy; for the first time, he looked like he didn’t know what to do, his stoical mask breaking.

“Papyrus, I’m so sorry,” he said, voice cracking. “I—I told her no, but… but I don’t know what we can do to stop her.”

“Edge, p-please, we can’t—we can’t…” Papyrus broke off, sobbing, and Edge pulled him close against his chest. Papyrus let himself cry against Edge, his tears staining Edge’s shirt. “I—I have to f-fix the Machine. I—I can’t let Sans s-stay here,” he sobbed.

“Papyrus you can’t—”

“Edge, please, I—I have to!” Papyrus looked up at Edge, tears running down his face. “Promise me you’ll h-help me, Edge—promise me, please Edge. P-promise me that—that Sans will be okay.” Edge stared at him, and Papyrus felt utterly helpless. All he needed right now was to hear the words, to hear Edge tell him it was alright, to tell him that Sans would be alright. He needed Edge to lie to him.

And he did.

“I—I promise, Papyrus. I promise, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aah, no! Angst!!  
> Sorry for giving you a panic attack Papyrus.... and then dropping the worst bombshell of your life :/ my bad.
> 
> Also, a bit of Red and Paps banter to lighten the mood.... I sort of haven't thought of a weird kink for Papyrus yet (gotta have some lighthearted stuff) so feel free to drop me suggestions ●﹏● Red's gotta know.
> 
> Plenty more angst where that came from! Thank you for reading xx


	44. Chapter 44

_‘Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same… except you don’t exist?’_

Edge immediately recognised the vivid, but dark dream. Only this time something was slightly different. He wasn’t in the strange room anymore, or the bedroom, and his brother wasn’t here either. He was standing alone in the darkness, which stretched endlessly around him, never ending. And this time, he wasn’t a babybones. He was himself, as he was now.

_‘Beware of the man who speaks in hands,’_ said a new voice.

_“Who?”_ he asked, to the darkness.

_‘Beware of the man who came from the other world.”_

_“Who are you talking about?”_ Edge asked again, but he was only met with silence. He tried to move, but he seemed stuck – stuck in the endless void around him.

_‘His life… was cut short.’_ Edge jumped at the sound of the new voice.

_‘Cut short?’_ Edge asked, frantically. _‘Whose life?’_ But the voice fell silent, leaving Edge in the silence of the darkness once again.

_‘One day, he vanished without a trace.’_ Edge spun around at the sound of the voice, but yet again, there was no one there.

_‘Who did? Who are you all talking about? Why won’t you tell me anything?’_ Edge was growing rather frustrated.

_‘They say he shattered across time and space.’_

Edge figured it was pointless to ask what that could possibly mean, and he let the silence echo around him.

_‘His life… cut short… experiments went wrong… well, I needn’t gossip. After all, it’s rude to talk about someone who’s listening.’_

_‘Listening? Who—’_ Edge’s soul suddenly went cold, a familiar sense of dread hanging over it. A piercing voice echoed through the darkness, its shattering pitch seeming to cast a shadow over his soul.

_Dark Darker yet Darker_

_The Darkness keeps growing_

_The Shadows cutting deeper_

_Photon readings negative_

_This next experiment seems_

_Very_

_Very_

_Interesting_

_…_

_What do you two think?_

_‘Don’t—don’t… Papyrus, he’s going to kill us!’_ Edge recognised his brother’s voice, frantically echoing through the darkness around him.

_‘Who, Sans? Who is?’_

_‘The man—the man who speaks in hands...'_

_'What? Who is he, Sans? What is his name?'_

_'It's—it's Gaster. He's... he's coming.'_

Edge didn’t recognise the name, but somehow, it sent a chill through his bones, piercing his very soul.

_‘Gaster? Who is he? Where—’_

_‘It’s too late. He’s already here.’_

Edge woke up with a cry, his breath coming in pants. A cold sweat covered his forehead, and his soul still felt icy. It also had that familiar pulling ache, and Edge suddenly remembered that Papyrus had slept with Sans tonight. He grasped for the small bottle Doctor Alphys had given him, taking two of the red pills, then sat there for a few minutes, waiting for the effects to kick in. The ache slowly subsided, but Edge still felt as if a cold chill were running through him.

Gaster.

Who was that? Edge didn't recall ever having heard the name spoken before, yet somehow it seemed so familiar. He must have heard it somewhere. And those words… those words that – Gaster, he assumed – had spoken… why did they also sound so familiar? Edge slowly managed to coax himself out of bed, not eager to leave the warmth of his covers, as if they might somehow help dampen the dark, cold feeling that shrouded his soul. He made his way downstairs, finding his brother already awake on the couch, sitting and staring with a vacant look in his eye-lights.

“Brother—”

“Gaster,” said Red, looking up at him, and Edge nodded. Red didn’t look surprised – if anything, he looked solemn, sighing quietly. “So much for hoping it was just a normal nightmare.”

“Who is he?” Edge asked, but Red shrugged.

“Not a clue. But I guess he’s the one who’s been… in the dreams.” Red looked down, seeming deep in thought. Something akin to a cold sense of dread suddenly overcame Edge.

“Sans…” he said, slowly, and Red looked up.

“What is it, Boss?”

“You don’t think… you don’t think it’s possible that these dreams are… are real, do you?” Edge regarded his brother, whose eye-lights widened, a strained expression on his face.

“Real? Like—”

“Like memories,” said Edge, his voice quiet. Red frowned up at him, grimacing.

“I—I don’t—I really hope not, Boss. Whoever this Gaster dude is, well, he’s obviously bad news.” Edge nodded in agreement, thinking. They were both silent for a few moments, and Edge was sure the same question was plaguing both of their minds.

“What do you think it meant?” Edge asked.

“What meant?” Red was giving Edge a strange look, but Edge was certain his brother already knew what he meant.

“He’s already here.”

They both fell silent again, looking at the floor. Edge could feel the cold dread returning to his soul. Whatever this strange, dark entity – Gaster – was, he could only hope that it was all in his head. That perhaps he and his brother had just coincidentally had the same dream. That it was some anomaly, a trick of the mind.

But wish as he might, Edge just couldn’t get the cold, piercing voice out of his head.

_What do you two think?_

****

 

“Red! Close the door! Papy is just downstairs—what if he hears us!”

Red grinned, kicking the door shut behind him, before grasping Sans’ face in his hands and kissing him again. Sans closed his eyes, sighing, and Red twisted their tongues together, tasting the faint sweetness of Sans’ magic. They had been doing this almost every day, Papyrus often downstairs, or asleep in Edge’s room. Red would tell them he was heading off to sentry duty, and Sans would say he was going to go upstairs for a nap, then Red would short-cut into his room, giving him and Sans some alone time.

“Hmm, you’re so wonderful, Blueberry, I could just eat you up.” Red gently bit on Sans’ tongue, causing the slightly smaller skeleton to squeak.

“I told you not to call me that, Red!” Sans hissed, and pulled away, blushing. Red’s grin only widened.

“But it makes you blush,” he said, running a thumb over Sans’ cheek bone. Sans blushed harder, and Red quickly leaned forward again, and slid his tongue against Sans’ teeth, which slowly parted, allowing Red to delve inside his mouth. He hummed against Sans, bringing a hand to the back of his skull, pulling him closer. Sans moaned into his mouth, and Red guided them towards his bed, until he felt the back of Sans’ legs hit the edge, and he gently pushed him down, positioning them so that he was kneeling between Sans’ femurs, their mouths never parting.

Red continued to run his tongue over Sans’, savouring the gentle thrum of the other skeleton’s magic, the smoothness of his bones beneath Red’s hands. Sans’ own hands were running down Red’s spine, sending a pleasant shiver through him. He could feel the faint warmth of Sans’ magic, slowly forming beneath his clothes, and Red’s own magic began to respond. Gradually, he reached his hand down, gently running a phalange over Sans’ crotch. Sans gasped, his hands going still for a moment on Red’s back.

“W-wait…” he whispered, and Red paused, pulling away slightly to look at Sans.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, looking into Sans’ starry blue eye-lights, which were blown wide.

“N-no, sorry,” Sans mumbled, and he kissed Red again, pressing their tongues together, Red sighing against his mouth. After a few moments, Red slowly began to move his hand against Sans’ pelvic bone again, gently rubbing in small circular motions through his pants. Sans suddenly froze again, and Red pulled his hand away, looking into Sans’ eyes earnestly.

“Sans,” he said earnestly, using Sans’ real name, “we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Sans looked at him, seeming frantic.

“No—no, I want to!” He glanced away, teeth clenched slightly. “I just… I’m, um…”

“If you’re not ready, that’s okay, Sans,” said Red, cupping the side of Sans’ face with the palm of his hand. “There’s no rush.” Sans looked at him for a few moments, eyes nervous, as if contemplating, then nodded. Red rolled off him, lying beside him on the bed. He pressed a soft kiss to Sans’ temple, enjoying the faint cyan blush that coloured his cheeks. “So,” he began, “how was training with Undyne yesterday? You seemed pretty excited when you got home.” This seemed to cheer Sans up, because he looked at Red with a bright grin on his face.

“Yes, yes!” he said, excitement in his eye-lights. “Undyne said I was ready to move on to the next phase of my training!” This sent an uncomfortable jolt of worry through Red’s soul. He couldn’t be certain, but if Undyne wanted to move on with Sans’ training, then that probably meant that she would want him to gain LOVE very soon. He forced a smile, not wanting to dampen Sans’ mood.

“That’s great,” he said, hoping he sounded convincing. “What made her decide that you were ready?”

“Well, she’s been saying that so far, my defence has been good, but my attack has been lacking. But—but—” Sans grinned suddenly, seeming eager to share whatever he was about to tell Red, “yesterday, I landed a hit on her!” Sans’ hands were clenched into small fists, which he was shaking with excitement. “In fact – I knocked her right off her feet!” Sans beamed, and Red felt his smile falter. While he found it rather impressive that Sans had managed such a feat, he was certain that a strong display of offensive ability would encourage Undyne to move onto the ‘LOVE-gaining’ phase of Sans’ training.

“Wow, er, well done,” said Red, hearing the lack of enthusiasm in his own voice, “that’s, um—that’s very impressive, Blue.” Sans’ face fell slightly at Red’s tone.

“What… what is it?” he asked, eyes wide all of a sudden. “Do… do you think that isn’t good enough? Do you think Undyne will change her mind about me being ready?” If only, Red thought.

“Nah, bud, it’s not that…” Red trailed off, looking away from Sans. “It’s just… make sure you don’t let Undyne force you to do anything you don’t want to, okay?” Sans’ eyes went wide.

“L-like what?” he asked, seeming shocked. Red looked up at him, expression earnest.

“Oh, nothing… just, remember, there are more important things than getting into the Royal Guard, alright?” Sans looked confused, but Red smiled, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. “You’re pretty great, you know that?”

“Of course I do!” Sans exclaimed, and Red chuckled. They lay there like that for a moment, Red feeling the gentle thrumming of Sans’ soul through his chest. After a little while, Sans pulled away, looking into Red’s eyes, a sudden hint of concern in his expression.

“Red, are you okay?” he asked, and Red frowned.

“What do you mean? Of course I am.”

“It’s just… you seem sort of tired.” Sans ran a hand over Red’s cheek, but then quickly pulled away, blushing, as if he’d suddenly realised what he’d been doing. “Nothing’s… bothering you is it? You can tell me.” Sans smiled, and Red felt a warm rush over his soul. But it was tainted by the underlying dread that filled him. The dream he’d had about… Gaster, was still fresh in his mind, the strange, cold voice still seeming to echo through him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Red said, shaking his head. “I’m fine, I just… didn’t sleep very well last night.”

“Was it a nightmare?” Sans asked, and Red looked up at him in surprise. There was a faintly sympathetic expression on Sans’ face. “Papy gets them all the time, I know the look.” Red looked down, sheepishly.

“Uh, well, er… yeah, it was a nightmare.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Sans asked, and Red looked back up at him. His eyes were gentle, a small smile on his face. Red’s soul did a somersault as he suddenly felt Sans’ fingers clasping around his own.

“Um, n-no… that’s alright, Blue.” He found he couldn’t meet Sans’ gaze, but he was enjoying the feeling of their hands, clutching onto each other, Sans stroking a phalange over Red’s. A thought occurred to him suddenly. “Hey, uh, you haven’t heard of someone called… Gaster, before, have you?” He looked up at Sans, hesitantly, but Sans shook his head.

“Uh, no… it doesn’t ring a bell,” said Sans, frowning slightly, as if thinking. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, er, no reason… do—do you think your brother might know?” Sans shrugged.

“Maybe, I can ask him for you if you like?”

Red quickly shook his head.

“Oh, no, no, don’t worry about it!” Sans gave him an odd look. If Sans didn’t know who Gaster was, and he and Edge had only dreamed about him, Red wasn’t sure if he might somehow be involved with resets, and he didn’t want Sans springing a question on Papyrus that he couldn’t answer. Still… if he did have something to do with resets, then why would Edge be dreaming about him too…? Red shook off the thought, focusing on Sans once again. “Um, it’s not a big deal, I can just ask him about it later if I get the chance.” Red hoped he sounded casual, not wanting Sans to suspect something. To his relief, Sans shrugged.

“Okay… but, are you sure you’re okay, Red?” Sans’ concerned expression had returned. Red nodded.

“Of course I am,” he said, voice low. He reached out and cupped the side of Sans’ face. “I’ve got you.” He slowly leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Sans’ mouth. Sans breathed deeply, before returning the kiss, his gentle, blue tongue sliding against Red’s. They kissed like that, just soft, and slow, until suddenly, Red heard the sound of the bedroom door creaking open. He and Sans quickly jumped apart, Sans giving a small yelp, and they stared at the doorway. Papyrus was leaning against the frame, a smirk on his face.

“Heh, I knew it,” he said, eyeing them with amusement. Red flushed brightly, and glared at Papyrus.

“Hey, get out of here, asshole!”

Papyrus shrugged.

“You know, you two could at least be subtle,” he said, ignoring Red. “Honestly Sans, ‘I’m going to take a nap’? It’s nine o’clock in the morning, bro – and you never take naps.” Out of the corner of his eye, Red saw Sans blush, looking down. “And Red, you didn’t even walk the right way to your sentry post this morning.” Red cursed himself, inwardly.

“Yeah—well, what about you?” He glowered at Papyrus, accusingly. “Mr. ‘sex-on-the-basement-floor’.” Papyrus’ eyes went wide, and he blushed slightly. “Yeah, fuck off, Stretch.” Despite the faint tinge of orange on his cheek bones, Papyrus still seemed unfazed.

“Don’t you have sentry duty?” he asked, raising his brow bone.

“What’s it to you?” Red asked, still glaring.

“I wanna spend some time with my bro,” Papyrus said, shrugging. “And I don’t need you there, shoving your tongue in his mouth.” Red saw Sans blushing deeper, and he glared at Papyrus.

“Well, what if I wanna spend time with him?” he asked, scowling. Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

“Come on, dude. You’ve been boning him all week.”

Red blushed deeply.

“No, I haven’t!” he yelled, at the same time as Sans squeaked ‘No, he hasn’t!’ Papyrus just continued to look amused.

“Well, why don’t you go to sentry duty, and then you can have him in the evening?” He looked over at Sans. “That okay, bro?” Sans looked a little flustered.

“W-well I—”

“Hey, it’s okay, pal,” Red said, quietly, putting an arm around Sans. “Spend some time with your asshole brother, I’ll take you to Grillby’s tonight, how does that sound?” Sans looked at him, eye-lights glittering in the way that always made Red’s soul try to leap out of his chest.

“O-okay… yes—yes, that sounds nice.” Sans smiled, and Red grinned in return, before placing a soft kiss on Sans’ cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Papyrus rolling his eye-lights. He hopped off the bed, glaring as he stalked past Papyrus. Before leaving, he turned to look at Sans, who was still sitting on the bed, flushing slightly.

“I’ll see you later, bud.”

“Bye, Red.”

And with that, Red left the room, his soul feeling a little warmer than it had earlier this morning.

 

****

 

“Hey bro, I’m sorry for interrupting your make out session with Red.”

Sans looked up at his brother in bewilderment.

“N-no!” he squeaked, shaking his head. “Th-that’s okay.” Papyrus smiled, sitting down next to him on the bed.

“So, um, how are things going with you two anyway?”

Sans thought for a moment. To be honest, things with Red had been… rather fantastic. Although Sans kept getting scared to… take things to the next step, he still enjoyed every minute of Red’s company. Sans loved kissing him. And judging by the way Red always skipped sentry duty for him, it seemed that he liked kissing Sans too. It sent a warm fluttering through his soul.

“Um… pretty good,” said Sans, blushing. He was still rather embarrassed that Papyrus had known about their ‘secret’ little escapades this whole time. Papyrus seemed to sense his discomfort, because he changed the subject.

“I, uh, actually wanted to ask you something…” he said, sounding apprehensive. Sans looked up at him, eyes wide.

“What is it, Papy?”

Papyrus looked shifty, not meeting Sans’ eye.

“It’s um, it’s about your training with Undyne,” he said, and Sans was surprised.

“My… training? What about it?” Sans didn’t understand why something like this would have Papyrus so rattled. And Red had been asking him about this as well, he realised. Why was everyone so concerned about his training? Surely they’d be… happy for him?

“Well, Edge told me that… that Undyne wants to move to the next phase.” Sans nodded with excitement.

“Yes!” he said, grinning. “She thinks I am ready! Did Edge tell you what I did at training yesterday? I knocked her down, Papy!” Sans grinned, proudly, but his face fell slightly when he saw his brother’s somber expression. “W-what is it?” he asked, an uncomfortable sliver of doubt creeping into his soul.

“Uh, sorry bro… that’s—that’s great.” Papyrus paused, looking away for a moment. “Um, it’s just… you’ll be careful, won’t you?” He looked back at Sans, something intense deep within his eye-lights.

“O-of course I will, brother. What—what are you so worried about?”

“Um, it’s nothing, sorry Sans.” There was a flicker of something sad in Papyrus’ expression, but it was gone before Sans could tell what it was. “Just don’t… just remember that…” Papyrus broke off suddenly, his voice going small. Sans looked at him in alarm, seeing small tears brimming in his brother’s eye sockets.

“Papy, what—”

Papyrus threw his arms around Sans suddenly, causing him to give a small gasp of surprise, but he quickly returned the hug, squeezing his arms around his brother, tightly. He could hear Papyrus sobbing quietly, and he felt tears faintly threatening to spill over his own eye sockets. Sans hated it when his brother cried; it made him want to cry as well, even if he didn’t know the reason.

“I—I’m sorry, Sans,” Papyrus wept, “I don’t—I don’t know what’s wrong with me…” Sans ran his hands soothingly over Papyrus’ back.

“Shh, it’s okay, Papy, I’m here. You can tell me.” He pressed his head against Papyrus’ chest, barely able to reach his shoulder, and he felt his brother hold him tighter.

“N-no…” Papyrus sobbed. “I—I just… I want you to be… to be okay. I want you to be safe.” Sans’ soul ached at the sound of Papyrus’ voice, his words half-choked between tears.

“Of course I’ll be safe, Papy. I promise you.” Sans paused for a moment, thinking, then, “It’s going _tibia_ okay." For a moment, Papyrus froze, and then Sans heard him chuckling softly between sobs.

“Was that… a pun, Sans?”

Sans silently cursed Red for getting that phrase into his head.

“N-no!” he said, indignantly. “W-well, yes…” Papyrus laughed, quietly, and Sans’ soul felt warm at the sound, and he pressed himself closer to his brother. “It will be okay, Papy, I promise.” He felt the faint thumping of his brother’s golden soul through his hoodie, and relaxed in Papyrus’ arms. “I love you.”

“How much?”

Sans looked up at Papyrus in confusion.

“What?”

“How much do you love me?”

Sans stared in bewilderment.

“H-how much… Papy, what are you—”

“Like a lot?”

“Y-yes—of course a lot, what are you…”

“So, would you say you love me a ton?” Papyrus was frowning down at Sans, his expression serious. Sans’ eye sockets widened. He felt utterly perplexed.

“A—a ton? Papy, what—”

“Do you love me a ton, Sans?” Papyrus was staring at Sans, his gaze intense.

“Y-yes! Of course I do, Papy! What on earth are you—”

“Heh, well I love you even more than a ton, Sans.”

“More than a ton? Papy, what… wait, no…”

“I love you a _skele_ ton!”

Sans groaned as Papyrus threw his arms around him.

“I don’t love you a ton anymore, Papy.”


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6500 words ⊙ω⊙  
> New record! Woo!  
> Hope you enjoy!!

“Edge, get over to the holding cell, you need to see this.”

“Yes, Captain, I’m on my way.”

Edge hung up the phone, stifling a yawn. It was only five in the morning, and still dark outside. Red had gone back to bed after he and Edge had discussed their nightmare, but Edge hadn’t been able to sleep, the painful thoughts of Gaster, and the cold feeling in his soul still plaguing him. After getting dressed and taking a couple of the white pills from Alphys, Edge headed outside, the chilly breeze in the air waking him up a little. He was at the King’s castle within an hour. Normally it would take him a little longer, but he’d rushed through Alphys’ secret lab today; the dingy corridors and dimly lit rooms had done little to quash the cold dread which hung over his soul, and he’d been keen to get out of there. When he reached the basement, Undyne was waiting outside.

“Where’s Alphys?” he asked.

“She went back to the lab to do some surveillance,” Undyne said, shrugging. Edge frowned. He hadn’t seen Doctor Alphys on his way through the lab, nor had he heard any noise when he’d walked past the surveillance room. Strange, he thought, that he’d missed her. Nonetheless, it was not important now.

“So what is this about, Undyne?” Edge asked. Undyne had sounded rather worried on the phone. Right now, she looked grim.

“It’s the monster,” Undyne said, slowly. “Catty – she’s… she’s been saying some pretty creepy stuff, Edge, I think you should come inside.” Edge narrowed his eye sockets, but followed Undyne into the basement. Catty was standing inside the holding cell, as she always was. But there was something different about her today. Her soul was brighter than ever, the black gleam almost illuminating the room in a cold, empty light. She had her usual malicious grin plastered on her face though, and it widened when Edge entered.

“So, _you’re,_ like, totally here again,” she observed, eyeing Edge. He felt a faint shudder run down his spine. He hadn’t been here since she’d told him his soul was ‘missing’. And according to Undyne, she’d refused to speak of it since. Her eyes flickered to Edge’s chest. “Have you found the rest of your soul yet?” Edge scowled at Catty, who continued to grin. Undyne sighed, and glared at Catty.

“Tell us about the darkness, mutt,” she instructed. Edge looked at Undyne, confused. But Catty seemed to know what Undyne was talking about, because a bored look crossed her features, and she began to speak, sounding as if she were reciting something she’d heard a hundred times.

“Dark, darker, yet darker. The darkness keeps growing. The shadows cutting deeper. Photon readings negative. This next experiment seems. Very. Very. Interesting… What do you two think?”

Edge’s soul froze, feeling colder than it had all morning. It seemed as if a tight, icy pressure was crushing his chest, his entire body stiff. Those words…

“What do you mean, what do we think?” Undyne growled. “We have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.” Catty shrugged.

“Like, not my problem,” she said, nonchalantly, which only seemed to further anger Undyne.

“What does it mean? What darkness? And experiment? _What experiment?”_ Catty continued to appear unfazed.

“Does it have something to do with Gaster?” Edge ventured, earning a confused look from Undyne. Catty looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“Um, does it look like I know who that is?” she asked, and Edge’s soul sunk slightly in disappointment. He supposed she could be lying, but the name hadn’t even earned a reaction out of her. Catty’s malicious grin suddenly returned. “You two totally don’t even know what’s coming for you,” she said, her tone wicked.

“So tell us,” said Edge, trying to keep the dread out of his voice.

“He’s got, like, big plans,” Catty said, her grin growing wider.

_“Who does?”_ Undyne was glaring at Catty, her good eye glinting. “Enough with all these riddles, _tell us who you’re talking about!”_

“He’ll, like, kill all your friends.” Catty laughed, a cold, empty sound. “And you’ll totally have to watch!”

Edge rolled his eye-lights, and approached the bars.

“Enough with the dramatics. Who is _he?”_

Catty only smirked.

“Oh, you’ll find out. If you haven’t already.” She flashed her yellow teeth, and Edge frowned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Behind him, Edge heard Undyne groan.

“Don’t bother, Edge, she’s not gonna tell us anything.”

But Edge wasn’t deterred. There was no way Catty repeating the exact same phrase he’d dreamed about last night was a coincidence.

“Are you certain you’ve never heard the name Gaster?”

Edge held Catty’s gaze, struggling not to flinch under the twisted, feral stare she was giving him. He failed to suppress the shudder that ran down his spine as she took a step closer, the dark light from her soul pulsing.

“Like, if I did? I wouldn’t tell you.”

Edge sighed.

“I figured as much.”

“But…” Catty grinned. “I can tell you some other names.” She glanced over Edge’s shoulder, and lowered her voice. “If you can get her out of here.”

Edge drew back, grimacing.

“Not going to happen.”

Catty shrugged, strolling back to a far corner of the cage.

“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s a real shame you don’t care if your friends die.”

“Enough of this crap,” Undyne spat, approaching the bars. “I say we just dust this piece of shit and be done with it.”

Edge looked at Undyne, frowning.

“Undyne, can I speak to you outside for a moment?” Undyne looked at him, and he held her gaze, deliberately. After a few seconds, she nodded, and followed him towards the door.

“He’s coming for you,” Catty called, just as they were about to leave, her voice low. “It’s too late. He’s already here.” Edge spun around at these words, eye-lights wide.

“What did you just say?” He stared at Catty, his soul pounding in his chest, but she only grinned, then laughed – a cold, echoing sound, which rang through the chamber. Edge felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Undyne looking at him, her good eye holding his gaze for a couple of moments.

“Come on, Edge, this fucker isn’t worth any more of our time.”

Edge wasn’t so sure, but he let Undyne guide him out of the room, closing the door behind them. When they were out in the empty, grey corridor, Undyne looked at him, her expression somber.

“Fuck, I’m so tired of this,” she grumbled. “Every time there’s a new development with this monster, she just gives us a whole bunch of bullshit. I’m thinking we should just dust her. All these threats are honestly just getting to me – and they don’t help us at all.”

“No, I don’t think we should do that,” said Edge, quickly, and Undyne raised an eyebrow.

“Why not?” she asked, seeming dubious.

“Well, it’s just…” Edge wasn’t sure what to say. The real reason he wanted to keep Catty alive was because of what she’d said today. Those words… the words about the darkness. The ones from his dream. The dream about… Gaster. Edge was certain they had to be connected somehow. But he didn’t know how to piece this strange puzzle together. “Captain, I think you should let me go back in there... alone.” Undyne raised an eyebrow.

“You serious? What good would that do? She never tells us anything. And no offence, but I’m a little more versed than you are when it comes to interrogation.”

Edge nodded, frowning.

“I know. But I think I might be able to get her to talk.”

Undyne looked dubious.

“Care to elaborate?”

Edge sighed.

“Captain, she asked to speak with me alone.”

Undyne frowned.

“Well that sounds like a trap and a half.”

Edge shrugged.

“I suppose, but what can she do? She’s in an anti-magic cage. And I’m not easily swayed by threats.” This was a partial lie on Edge’s behalf. So far this morning, Catty’s threats had been pretty effective in shaking him to his core. Undyne still looked skeptical.

“I dunno, Edge, why would she want to speak to you alone?”

“Maybe it’s because I’m nicer.”

Undyne scoffed.

“That might be true, I don’t think that feral bastard cares who’s nice and who isn’t.”

“Perhaps not,” Edge acknowledged. “But do we really have any other options? Threats don’t work. Violence doesn’t work. What else can we do?”

Undyne paused for a moment, deliberating. She then sighed.

“Alright, so what are you going to do? Negotiate with her? You know we’re not letting her free, right?”

Edge nodded.

“I know.” He paused. “We really do need that information, and I doubt she’ll just give it away for free. But… has she showed any more signs of that ‘soul pain’ stuff? Where she clutches her chest in agony and writhes around?” Edge shuddered slightly, being familiar with the sensation himself.

“Uh, yeah once or twice. Why?”

“Perhaps some of Alphys’… pills could help her,” Edge suggested. “We could offer to… alleviate her pain in return for information.”

Undyne hesitated, thinking, then shrugged.

“Yeah… that’s not a bad idea. Kind of like reverse torture.”

Edge grimaced.

“Right.”

“So, you go in there, ask her about that ‘darkness’ crap—and who ‘he’ is. And if she refuses to talk, offer her some compensation.” Undyne frowned. “This had better work.” Edge nodded, and turned, about to open the door. “Oh, and Edge?” He paused, looking back at Undyne. She had a grave expression on her face. “Don’t let her get into your head. These creatures are nasty fuckers and they’ll do whatever they can to mess with you.”

“Got it. Thank you, Captain.”

“Good luck, punk.”

Edge turned, opening the door and heading back inside the basement. Catty was still standing near the bars, and she grinned when Edge walked in.

“So, you like, got rid of her. You really wanna know those names, don’t you?”

“Precisely,” Edge said, keeping his tone bored. Catty’s smile widened.

“Come, like, just a little closer and maybe I’ll talk.”

Edge frowned in suspicion, but approached, still keeping his distance from the bars. He held one hand behind his bag, magic sparking at his fingertips, ready for any sign of attack. Catty walked up to the edge of her cage, and observed Edge, who shivered slightly.

“You going to start talking?” Edge asked, irritably. Catty’s gaze raked over him, hesitating on his chest.

“Hmm, your soul is so, like… different. It’s nothing like his…”

Edge scowled.

“Enough about my soul. Tell me those names. And who _he_ is. You said he wasn’t… Gaster. So who is it?”

Catty looked up at him, that malicious smile never leaving her face.

“I could, like… tell you, I guess? But I don’t wanna ruin the surprise.”

Edge’s frown deepened.

“The names, then.”

Catty gave a soft cackle, the sound seeming to drain the light from the room. Edge shivered again, feeling tempted to wrap his arms around himself.

“You already know the names… I mean they _are,_ like, friends of yours or whatever.”

Edge’s soul went cold. At least, colder than it already was. He stiffened, staring at her.

“Friends of mine…?”

“Hmm, what were their names?” Catty seemed to be thinking, still smirking. “Oh, was it like… Blue, maybe? And… Stretch?” She grinned at the way Edge went still. "Ha, yeah, it totally was."

_“How do you know those names?”_ Edge hissed, gripping onto the bars. Catty only grinned.

“Oh, I’m not the only one who knows those names. He’ll be seeing them, like… real soon.”

Edge’s grip on the bars tightened, faint pulses of magic emitting from his hands. He could feel a burning rage building in his soul. Forgetting all plans of negotiation, he gritted his teeth, holding Catty’s gaze furiously.

_“Who will? Who wants to meet them?”_ Edge's magic grew brighter, becoming more potent.  _"Tell me right now or I'll dust you where you stand."_

“He’s already here…” Catty began to laugh, the sound piercing Edge’s soul, echoing around the room. He felt the dread returning to his soul, a cold, empty despair. He suddenly felt a strong set of hands gripping his arms, and turned to see Undyne.

“Let’s get out of here,” she murmured, barely audible through Catty’s laughter. Edge let her pry his hands off the bars, and guide him out of the room. Even once the door had been closed, he felt as if he could still hear Catty’s empty laughter, ringing in his skull. Undyne looked at him soberly. “So I’m guessing it was a bust?” Edge frowned, trying to shake the uncomfortable iciness in his soul.

“Undyne… she…” Edge hesitated. He suddenly wondered if it would be a good idea to tell Undyne that Catty had mentioned Sans and Papyrus. She was already trying to get Sans to gain LOVE - not to mention Alphys’ previous interest in Papyrus… But, he doubted it would be in his best interest to keep secrets from Undyne. He might not completely trust Alphys, but he didn’t think Undyne would attempt to cause Sans and Papyrus any harm. “She knew Stretch and Blue’s names.”

Undyne’s good eye widened.

“She _what?_ How?”

Edge shook his head, grimacing.

“I don’t know, but… but she said ‘he’ll be seeing them soon’.”

Undyne sighed, looking bitter.

“And I don’t suppose she happened to mention who ‘he’ is?”

“She did not.”

Undyne scowled.

“Well this is fucking ridiculous. Why does it always feel like we’re eleven steps behind? How are we supposed to get to the bottom of this?”

Edge sighed.

“I wish I knew.”

There were several moments of dreary silence, both of them staring gravely at the ground, Undyne seeming deep in thought. Edge was struggling to shake the feeling of dread that seemed to hang over his soul - that had been hanging over his soul all morning. He had wanted to keep Papyrus and Sans as far away from this corruption mess as possible. But now, Undyne wanted Sans to gain LOVE, so that he might be able to help them on their case. And if Catty knew who they were… not to mention _him,_ whoever he was…

“Hey, Edge,” Undyne said, breaking Edge out of his thoughts. He looked up at her. “What was that thing you said… that name? Gaster?” Edge felt his soul flip, just at the sound of the name.

“Oh, it was… nothing,” he said, knowing he didn’t sound convincing. Undyne raise an eyebrow.

“Nothing?” she asked, skeptically. “Where did the name come from?”

“N-nowhere—I just—”

“H-hey guys! I’m back!”

Edge and Undyne looked up to see Alphys trotting towards them, her folder of case notes clutched in one of her hands. Edge frowned as she approached.

“Back?” he asked, raising his brow bone. “I thought you were doing surveillance at the lab?” Alphys’ eyes widened.

“Um, y-yes, I was! I just, er, decided to come back!”

Edge frowned, suspiciously.

“Oh really?”

Alphys nodded frantically.

“Yes, really! I, um, I just wanted to—”

“Spare Alphys your paranoia for one fucking day, Edge,” Undyne sighed, rolling her good eye, and Alphys seemed to relax. “Don’t worry, Alphys, we’re heading back now.” Undyne looked back at Edge. “I think we should just keep canvasing the Core, try to find some more of these monsters. There’s not really much more we can do.” Undyne looked grim, and Edge saw Alphys shifting uncomfortably between her feet. He narrowed his eye sockets, still not buying her story. How was it he hadn’t seen her on his way here? He decided to let it go, though – while Alphys always seemed to be up to something shady, he doubted it was of importance at this time. He nodded at Undyne.

“Agreed,” he said, somberly. “It doesn’t seem like Catty is good for any more than ominous threats and impossible riddles.”

Edge grimaced slightly at the thought of her cold, echoing laugh. It chilled him to the bone. And her words… they gave him little comfort, particularly the knowledge that there was now someone else out there who knew about Sans and Papyrus.

 

****

 

It wasn’t even dark outside when Papyrus heard the sound of Edge’s keys in the front door. Sans and Red had already left for Grillby’s, so Papyrus had helped himself to a bowl of honey for dinner. He knew it probably wasn’t the most substantial option, but he figured it would suffice better than anything he could cook. He looked up when Edge walked in. He looked tired. There was a strange sort of dreariness in his eyes, a look that made Papyrus feel weary. He didn’t like seeing Edge so beaten down.

“Rough day?” he asked, and Edge grimaced.

“Indeed.” He glanced at Papyrus, before his eyes drifted down to the bowl of honey in front of him, pulling a face. “What on earth are you eating?”

“Honey.” Papyrus smiled. “Want some?”

Edge scowled.

“Ugh, no thanks.” He stalked over to the coffee machine, putting on a fresh pot to brew. He glanced over at Papyrus, who was still scraping the last bits of honey off the bottom of the bowl. “Stars, no wonder you taste so sweet,” Edge said, looking deadpan. Papyrus grinned.

“You don’t seem to mind too much.” Papyrus smirked as Edge blushed slightly, turning back to his pot of coffee. After pouring himself a mug, he took a seat across from Papyrus, sipping it, slowly. Papyrus noticed the dark rings under his eye sockets, and the way his eye-lights seemed slightly dim. “Sleep badly?” he asked, and Edge frowned.

“It certainly wasn’t the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had,” he admitted.

“What _is_ the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had?” Papyrus asked, and Edge looked up at him, seeming slightly suspicious.

“Why do I feel like you’re about to turn this into something sexual?” he asked, frown deepening. Papyrus grinned.

“Because I am.”

Edge glared.

“Well, at least let me finish my coffee, I have virtually no stamina.” Edge returned to his mug, and Papyrus felt his soul do a small, excited flip.

“Hmm, so we _will_ be doing something that requires stamina?” Papyrus raised his brow bone at Edge, who blushed again.

“No promises,” he said, “I’ll see how I feel after this cup of coffee.” Papyrus grinned.

“I’ll get you another, just in case,” he said, standing up. “So what happened at work today?” he asked, as he readied the coffee. “You seem pretty downtrodden.”

“Um, nothing.” Edge sounded grim, and Papyrus turned around in surprise.

“Edge, are you okay?” he asked, and Edge looked away, his expression strained.

“Yes,” he said, stiffly, “I’m fine.” Papyrus frowned, and walked over to him.

“Edge…” he placed a hand gently on Edge’s shoulder, and Edge flinched slightly, looking up. Papyrus quickly removed his hand, shoving it in his pocket. “Um, you know you can talk to me, right? I feel like I’m always dumping all my problems on you, but you never really tell me anything. What’s bothering you?” Edge looked pensive. He looked away from Papyrus, taking another sip of his coffee.

“I—I’d honestly just rather not talk about it,” he said, quietly. “Just, um… stay with me?” Papyrus paused for a moment, worry creasing his brow bone, before nodding. He reached his hand down once again, resting it on Edge’s shoulder. Edge brought his own hand up, laying it gently on Papyrus’, phalanges caressing the rough bones. Edge looked up, eye-lights meeting Papyrus’, and Papyrus felt a familiar thrill go through his soul. Every time Edge looked at him like that, Papyrus got the urge to kiss him. And this time wasn’t any different.

Reaching down his other hand, he gently cupped the side of Edge’s face, leaning down, and pressing their mouths together, softly. Edge drew in a sharp breath, and Papyrus conjured his tongue, pressing it into Edge’s mouth, tasting the strong coffee on his tongue. Suddenly, Edge brought both of his hands behind Papyrus’ lower back, and pulled him down, so that he was straddling Edge’s lap. Papyrus gasped in surprise, breaking the kiss. Edge was looking at him with a deep intensity, an almost hungry look in his eyes.

“Edge,” Papyrus breathed, “what—hmm…” Papyrus broke off as Edge kissed him again, his crimson conjured tongue pushing against Papyrus’, the faint taste of coffee and spice filling Papyrus’ senses. Papyrus closed his eyes, kissing him back, their tongues pressing against each other, Edge slowly sliding his into Papyrus’ mouth, and exploring every inch of it. The kiss gradually became rougher, Edge gently biting down on Papyrus’ tongue, pushing his own tongue forcefully against Papyrus’ magic, his gloved hands scraping along the vertebrae of Papyrus’ back. Papyrus moaned, softly, and Edge pulled him closer, bringing a hand to the back of Papyrus’ skull, pushing his head down, so that he could trail his tongue over Papyrus’ jaw. He licked over it, slowly, as if savouring the taste. Papyrus gasped, relishing in the feeling of Edge’s smooth magic being pressed roughly against his jaw.

“F-fuck…” he breathed, as Edge ground their hips together, and trailed his tongue down, reaching Papyrus’ neck, where he gently ran his glowing magic over the sensitive discs. Papyrus gasped again, pressing his hips down harder, running a hand over the back of Edge’s skull, trying to feel as much of him as he could – his tongue, his scarred bones, the warm magic that was already pooling at his crotch. Papyrus slowly trailed a hand down, and pressed it against Edge’s arousal. Edge grunted, and bit down on the vertebrae of Papyrus’ neck, causing him to cry out. “Hah, oh stars, Edge… hmm…” Papyrus struggled to control the soft whine that escaped him as Edge pushed his hips up, grinding them against Papyrus’. Papyrus brought both his hands up to Edge’s face, drawing him away for a moment, staring into his eyes.

The faded dimness of his eye-lights was gone, their colour now a deep, bright ruby. Papyrus kissed him again, roughly, pushing his tongue into Edge’s mouth, who brought a hand up, trailing his finger along Papyrus’ jaw, then up to the corner of his mouth. Papyrus vaguely noticed that Edge was no longer wearing his gloves, and he felt a shudder go through him at the feeling of Edge’s rough bones against his smooth ones. Suddenly, Edge ran his thumb over Papyrus’ teeth, just beside where their tongues were intertwined, and he slowly pressed the digit into Papyrus’ mouth. Papyrus moaned, opening his mouth a little more, and allowing Edge to delve his tongue deeper.

“Oh… stars, Edge…”

Papyrus gently trailed his tongue over Edge’s finger, the feeling of Edge’s own tongue still deep in his mouth. Edge suddenly pressed his hips up, and Papyrus could feel the warmth of his magic through his pants – Edge was already hard. The feeling sent a rush of arousal straight to Papyrus’ own groin, and he ground his hips against Edge’s, harder, moaning against him, and biting down slightly on his finger, which was still pressed inside Papyrus’ mouth.

Suddenly, Edge brought both his hands to Papyrus’ femurs, lifting him up, and standing, so that Papyrus was forced to wrap his legs around Edge’s waist. Papyrus whined as Edge’s erection was pressed up against his own magic, which had already started to coalesce. Edge bent his head, latching his teeth onto the vertebrae at Papyrus’ neck, and Papyrus groaned.

“Oh—oh fuck, Edge, please…”

Edge ran his tongue over the bones he’d just bitten down on, leaving a soft tingling feeling. He then lowered Papyrus, so that he was sitting on the kitchen table, his legs still wrapped around Edge’s waist, pulling him tightly against him. Edge pushed his hips forward, drawing another desperate moan from Papyrus.

“F-fuck, Edge… please…”

His breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps, hitching every time Edge pressed his hips forward. Edge brought his hand back up to Papyrus’ face, cupping his jaw softly, before he pushed his thumb back inside Papyrus’ mouth. Papyrus immediately brought his tongue to lick over it, moaning. Edge moved his other hand slowly down Papyrus’ back, stopping right against his tailbone. He circled his thumb there for a moment, sending a shudder through Papyrus. Then, Edge pushed Papyrus’ hips forward, at the same time as he pressed his own hips hard against Papyrus’ magic, and Papyrus moaned loudly, biting down on Edge’s finger, drawing a low growl from the rougher skeleton.

“Ah, Edge, please, fuck… I n-need…” Papyrus broke off with a gasp, as Edge moved his hand from his back, dipping it into his pants, and pressed it against the glowing amber magic at his pelvis.

“What do you need, Papyrus?” he whispered, breathing hard. He slowly began circling his thumb over Papyrus’ clitoris, coaxing a needy whine from him.

“Oh, fuck—Edge, please—please, I need—ah!” Papyrus struggled to get the remainder of the words out, Edge’s gentle massaging speeding up. He leaned close to Papyrus, pressing his head against his shoulder.

“I can’t give you what you want unless you ask,” he whispered, and Papyrus whimpered, hands gripping onto the edge of the table, fingers grating against the wood. Edge trailed the digit in Papyrus’ mouth over his tongue, then brought it up to his own mouth, licking off the golden magic. Papyrus watched, eye-lights wide, his soul pulsing eagerly at the sight. “I still don’t know what you want, Papyrus,” Edge murmured, pressing his thumb gently against Papyrus’ swollen clit.

“Hah—ah… f-fuck you,” he gasped, as Edge pressed the tip of one of his phalanges just inside Papyrus’ entrance. Not enough, Papyrus thought, his mind hazy with arousal. Edge chuckled, and bent his head to kiss Papyrus’ neck, running his tongue over the smooth vertebrae. Papyrus whimpered.

“E-Edge, please—please, just—”

“Tell me what you want, Papyrus,” Edge murmured. “Let me hear you say it.” Papyrus gasped as Edge dragged his sharp teeth over the discs of his neck.

“Ah—Edge!” he cried, as Edge pressed a finger inside his dripping entrance. “Oh, stars Edge, fuck me, please! F-fuck me, Edge!” Papyrus continued to whimper and moan as Edge brought his hand down, slowly pulling off Papyrus’ pants, revealing his amber pussy, which was already soaked with pale orange magic. Edge hummed at the sight, and Papyrus could’ve sworn he saw his crimson eye-lights flicker slightly. His ruby tongue licked over his teeth, the sight making Papyrus’ soul ache with arousal. Edge suddenly removed his hand from Papyrus’ pussy altogether, and Papyrus whimpered. “N-no, don’t stop…” he whined. “Edge, please…” Edge looked at him, his expression unreadable, apart from the deep lust within his eye-lights.

Edge then crouched, so that he was kneeling on the floor, his shoulders level with the surface of the table. He brought his hands up to Papyrus’ femurs, spreading them, and pressing them down against the table, so that Papyrus’ dripping sex was completely exposed. “Edge… ah, oh fuck!” Papyrus cried out, dropping onto his back, and bringing a hand to cover his mouth as Edge’s tongue delved into his pussy, pushing against the tight walls. Papyrus gasped, whining and moaning, unable to stop himself from trying to push his hips forward, desperate to feel more of Edge’s tongue against his magic. Edge’s grip on his femurs was strong, though, holding him still, leaving Papyrus at the mercy of his warm tongue, which was licking deeper into his pussy. “Oh—hah—stars, oh, oh fuck—Edge, ngh—ah!” Papyrus couldn’t control the string of desperate gasps and moans that escaped him, his breathing ragged and sharp. He brought a hand to the back of Edge’s skull, holding him there, phalanges scraping against the scarred bone.

Edge suddenly withdrew, and Papyrus whined, his hand still running over Edge’s skull. Edge looked up at him, tongue trailing over his teeth. It was covered in Papyrus’ golden juices, and the image caused a hot rush of desire to run through Papyrus’ entire body.

“Edge, f-fuck… stars, please…”

Edge dipped his head again, running his tongue over Papyrus’ clitoris, drawing a deep moan from him. He then lifted his head again, standing up. Papyrus watched Edge from where he lay on the table, legs still spread, a hand pressed against his forehead, where he could feel sweat beading. Edge reached a hand down to his own pants, through which a bright red glow could be seen. He undid the buckle of his belt, and let his pants drop to the floor, revealing his cock, which was completely erect, a faint trail of precum leaking from the head. Papyrus felt himself humming slightly at the sight, looking up at Edge, eagerly. Edge’s expression was one of pure lust, his crimson eye-lights bright and wide. He ran his tongue over the edge of his mouth, observing Papyrus.

“As amazing as you taste,” he said, voice breathy and low, “I really need to fuck you right now.” Papyrus felt a small noise escape him, his eyes wide. Edge took a step closer, resting his hands on Papyrus’ femurs once again, and leaned down to kiss him. Papyrus moaned softly against his mouth, tasting his own sweet magic on Edge’s tongue. After a few moments, Edge slowly drew back, and lined his cock up with Papyrus’ pussy. He gently rubbed the head against Papyrus’ clit, and Papyrus heard his breath hitch slightly as he did.

“Hmm, Edge… stop—hng—stop teasing, just—aah!” Papyrus cried out as Edge pressed his cock into his entrance, pushing against the tight walls, which were already slick with a combination of Edge and Papyrus’ magic. “Oh, stars, Edge…” Papyrus groaned as Edge slowly pushed deeper, the feeling of finally being penetrated sending a jolt of pleasure through his bones.

“Oh, fuck you’re tight, Papyrus,” Edge moaned, his grip firm on Papyrus’ legs. “F-fuck you feel... fucking amazing…”

“Yes… oh, yes...” Papyrus breathed, dropping his head back, eyes closing. “Oh, oh stars, fuck me harder, Edge, please—I n-need—oh, god yes—ah!” Edge had suddenly pushed forward, thrusting a little more sharply inside Papyrus, then slowly pulling back, before pushing in again, going a little deeper each time. “Oh, fuck yes—oh, Edge—hah, yes, ngh…” Papyrus let a series of cries escape him as Edge rocked his hips forward, stretching Papyrus’ magic a little more with each thrust, sending spasms of pleasure through him.

Papyrus gripped onto the edge of the table, feeling his phalanges creating dents in the wood. He gasped and moaned as Edge fucked him, his pace quickening gradually. He became enraptured by the blissful feeling of Edge’s cock filling him, pushing against his magic. Papyrus could feel the sharp tips of Edge’s phalanges digging into his femurs, the sensation sending a hot thrill through his soul.

“Edge… fuck, I need—oh, stars—I n-need more…”

“F-fuck, Papyrus…” Edge breathed, suddenly picking up the pace, his thrusts becoming deeper. Papyrus moaned, and brought his legs up behind Edge’s back, pulling him closer, forcing him to go deeper. Edge brought a hand to cup Papyrus’ jaw, before slipping his thumb inside Papyrus’ mouth. Papyrus moaned, licking over the digit, nibbling on it slightly. Edge was leaning over Papyrus now, and suddenly, Papyrus let out a cry, as Edge hit a spot inside him that sent a burning jolt of pleasure through his entire body.

“Ah, fuck—Edge, oh god…”

Suddenly, Edge hilted inside him, and Papyrus gasped. He then stilled for a moment, and Papyrus felt a whine escape him. But then, Edge began to fuck him again with renewed vigour, his magic hilting inside Papyrus’ pussy with each thrust, and a string of cries left Papyrus’ mouth.

“Oh, fuck—Edge, aah! Y-yes, oh—fuck me, yes—ah, Edge!”

Edge grunted slightly, and Papyrus opened his eyes to see Edge’s eyes closed, his tongue visible at the corner of his mouth, a pale sheen of sweat on his forehead. He was panting as he thrust his hips forward, fucking Papyrus hard, hitting that wonderful spot inside him each time he pushed his hips forward.

“Hah—Edge, yes…” Papyrus panted, bringing a hand to his forehead, where sweat was dripping.

“Stars, Papyrus…” Edge moaned, pressing his finger deeper into Papyrus’ mouth as he fucked him, his thrusts becoming faster and harder. Every breath Papyrus took came out as a cry, a hot, burning pressure building in his pussy.

“Edge—fuck—ah—oh stars, Edge, I—ah—I’m close—”

Papyrus barely managed to get the words out between his tirade of desperate moans and cries, the hot feeling of Edge’s magic inside him, pushing his own magic to the limits, the building pressure in his groin increasing. Edge suddenly brought a hand behind Papyrus’ back, lifting him into a sitting position. His other hand was still clutching onto Papyrus’ femur, as he fucked him; hard, long thrusts, each one sending a fresh jolt of pleasure through Papyrus. Edge opened his eyes, his left eye-socket sparking with crimson magic. He stared into Papyrus’ eye-lights, his mouth hanging open, panting hard, before kissing him roughly, his tongue dipping into Papyrus’ mouth, running over every corner of it, pressing hard against Papyrus’ own tongue. Papyrus moaned into his mouth, still unable to keep himself from crying out every time Edge thrust into him, bringing him closer to his peak. Edge suddenly brought his hand down from Papyrus’ back, and reached between them, smoothing his thumb over Papyrus’ clit.

“Do it for me, Papyrus,” he breathed.

“F-fuck, Edge—ah—hng—oh, stars—”

“Fuck, Papyrus—come for me,” Edge whispered, pressing his thumb against Papyrus’ swollen clitoris.

“Ah—oh fuck yes, Edge—ah—f-fuck—hah—Edge—ah... fuck...”

Papyrus groaned as he came, his pussy convulsing around Edge’s cock, hands gripping onto Edge’s hips, scraping against them. He continued to clutch desperately onto Edge as he rode out his orgasm, Edge’s name slipping from his mouth over and over.

“Oh—f-fuck, Papyrus…” Edge moaned, and his orgasm shortly followed Papyrus’, one of his hands gripping tightly onto his femur, almost painfully so, his other still circling Papyrus’ clit. Papyrus finally slumped against Edge, resting his head on the other skeleton’s shoulder, panting. Edge stilled inside Papyrus, before slowly pulling out, a dribble of pale red magic dripping from Papyrus’ pussy. Edge brought a hand behind Papyrus’ skull, pulling him against his mouth and kissing him, softly. They both panted into each other’s mouths, Papyrus enjoying the taste of Edge’s magic against his tongue. The kiss only lasted a few moments, before Edge broke away, and brought his arms around Papyrus, hugging him tightly.

“You’re so—so wonderful,” he murmured. “Fuck, you’re amazing. I love you so much.” Papyrus’ soul felt warm, fluttering in his chest, and he squeezed Edge back, resting his head against his shoulder, breathing in his spicy scent.

“God, your dick is fucking great,” he whispered.

Edge pulled away, glaring.

“You’re an asshole.”

“Heh, aren’t you gonna compliment my pussy?”

Edge rolled his eye-lights.

“No. I’m going to scowl at you until you tell me you love me too.”

Papyrus couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. He leaned forward, and pressed his mouth against Edge’s. Edge grumbled slightly, but kissed him back, running his tongue against Papyrus'. After a few moments, Papyrus pulled away, and leaned his head back against Edge’s shoulder.

“I love you too,” he murmured.

“Hm, good.”

Papyrus chuckled, and they stayed like that for a few minutes. Papyrus felt as if he could stay like this forever, wrapped up in Edge’s arms, the warm feeling of his magic still dissipating, the sensation of the soft rise and fall of his chest. He could practically feel Edge’s soul pulsing through his clothes—not the piece of Edge’s soul inside his own, but Edge’s own soul. Its familiar resonating magic reminded him of all the times Edge had healed him, and he snuggled closer to him, the memories sending a warm wave of relaxation over him. “And to think,” Papyrus murmured, glancing at the table beside them, “you didn’t even finish your cup of coffee.” Edge pulled away suddenly, glaring at him. His eyes flickered to the spilt mug of coffee on the table.

“You’re right,” he said, bitterly, “I didn’t.” He then pressed his teeth gently against Papyrus’, only for a few seconds, before drawing away, smiling. “I think it was worth it though.” Papyrus hummed.

“Hmm, I don’t know… seemed like a pretty good cup of coffee.” Edge’s glare returned.

“You know, I think I preferred it when you were screaming my name.” Edge smirked slightly, and Papyrus blushed. “I didn’t notice it until Red pointed it out, but he was right – you are loud.”

“What? Why would he tell you that!” Papyrus’ eyes widened, and he felt his blush intensifying.

“Nyeh heh, my brother tells me everything.”

Papyrus glared.

“I honestly thought he’d draw the line at ‘how loud your boyfriend is when you have sex’,” he grumbled, bitterly, looking away. His cheek bones were burning. Edge brought a hand to his face, and turned it, looking into Papyrus’ eye-lights, a small smirk still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Well, I loved it,” he murmured, and kissed Papyrus again, their tongues meeting inside Papyrus’ mouth. When Edge drew away, Papyrus was grinning. He frowned. “What?” he asked, looking suspicious.

“Heh, it’s just… you do know that you’re supposed to _lay_ the table not _get laid_ on the table.” Papyrus chuckled, and Edge’s eyes flew wide with fury.

“Y-you—you were the one who got—who got laid on the table! Not me!” he stuttered, scowling. Papyrus’ grin only widened.

“You just fucked me on a table.”

“You—you asked me to!”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Eh, suppose I did. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Edge said, automatically, then frowned. Papyrus smiled.

“I love you,” he said, reaching up and cupping Edge’s face with his hand.

“As you should,” said Edge. Papyrus raised his brow bone, smirking. “B-but… I love you too,” Edge added, quickly. He blushed, and Papyrus couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped him. He ran his fingers over Edge’s cheek bone.

“Heh, I love it when you get all flustered.” Edge shoved his hand away, scowling.

“Ugh, you’re a bastard. I’m going to have a shower.” Edge bent down, pulling up his pants and buckling them, before turning to walk towards the door. Papyrus hopped off the table, pulling his own pants back up and following him.

“Do you, uh, mind if I join you?”

Edge turned to look at Papyrus, brow bone raised.

“Look, as much as I’d love to… erm, go for round two, I’m rather spent.”

“N-no, I meant… could we just shower together?” Papyrus looked at Edge a little sheepishly, his blush returning. Edge seemed surprised.

“Oh. So no…”

“No,” said Papyrus, quickly, “just—just showering.” Edge seemed to consider for a moment, before nodding, slowly.

“Well… I don’t see why not. Just—don’t try anything. I meant it about… not having the stamina.”

“What do you take me for?” Papyrus asked, putting on a mock-offended expression.

“Someone who managed to convince me to fuck him on a table,” Edge said, dryly. He seemed to consider for a moment. “Before I’d even finished my coffee,” he added, glancing at the spill, and Papyrus grinned.

“Okay, point taken. I’ll behave.” Edge narrowed his eye sockets, before nodding, and turning to leave the kitchen. “I’ll be up in a moment,” Papyrus said, “I suppose I owe it to you to… clean up.” He indicated the small mess of magic on the kitchen table, as well as the spilt mug of coffee. Edge regarded it with a grimace.

“You do.”

“Heh, asshole. I love you.”

“Don’t wear it out, Papyrus,” Edge said, frowning, but there was a small hint of a smile on his face. “I… love you too,” he said, quietly, before quickly hurrying out of the room, leaving Papyrus with a warm fluttering in his soul.


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another 6.5K chapter!
> 
> My semester starts again this week so I'm sorry if I don't post as often. I'm gonna be studying...... haha, no I'm not. But I gotta pass :/ So sorry if the chapters are less frequent, I'll try my best!
> 
> But here we are! Hope you enjoy!

“Um Red, could we maybe… walk?”

Sans and Red were standing on the front porch of the house, Red’s hand clasped around Sans’, ready to short-cut them to Grillby’s. Red looked at Sans in surprise.

“Walk? Why?”

Sans blushed, looking down.

“Uh, I don’t know,” he said, quietly, hand twitching slightly in Red’s. “I just thought it might be… nice. B-but if you don’t want to, that’s okay! W-we can just—”

“No!” Red said, louder than he meant to, and Sans looked up in surprise. Red blushed slightly, lowering his voice. “Uh, I mean, I would love to walk.” Red gave Sans a smile, cherry blush still on his cheek bones, and Sans beamed back, causing Red’s soul to do an excited flip. Hand still clutching onto Sans’, Red led them down the steps and onto the snowy path, walking in the direction of the town.

It wasn’t dark yet, but the light was fading, casting dim shadows across the pale snow. It was very cold today, snow having fallen earlier on, and Red felt himself inadvertently leaning closer to Sans, as if to keep him warm.

“Uh, Blue?”

Sans looked up, his sparkling blue eye-lights sending a thrill through Red’s soul.

“What is it?” he asked. Red averted his eyes, unable to make eye contact.

“Would you, um, maybe want to… borrow my jacket?” Sans looked at him in bewilderment.

“Your—your jacket?”

“Uh, n-no!” Red blurted, and Sans’ eyes went even wider. “I-I just mean, uh, you don’t have to, if you don’t want… you’re probably not even cold, sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“No, I want to wear it!” Sans squeaked, then looked away quickly, blushing. “Um, if that’s okay, I mean…”

“Yes!” Red said, hurriedly taking off his jacket. “Yes, yes, of course it is. Here you go.” He brought the jacket around Sans’ shoulders, helping him slip his arms into the sleeves. The jacket was a bit big on him, the sleeves falling past his hands, but other than that, it seemed to fit alright. Red’s soul fluttered at the sight of Sans in his jacket, and he felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Um, it suits you,” he commented, staring at his feet.

“Th-thank you,” Sans stammered, and Red glanced up slightly to see his favourite cyan blush on Sans’ cheek bones. Smiling, he took Sans’ warm hand once again, his soul thumping in his chest.

“Um… let’s keep walking,” he said, and Sans nodded. Red felt Sans intertwine their fingers, and he felt like his soul might burst out of his chest. They walked in silence for a few minutes, slowly approaching the soft glowing light of the town. Red couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Sans every few seconds, the sight of him wearing Red’s jacket sending a warm jolt of affection through Red every time he looked. Unfortunately, Sans wearing his jacket meant that Red was a little cold. He shivered slightly.

Suddenly, he felt Sans let go of his hand, and bring his arm up to wrap around Red’s shoulders. Red tensed for a moment, his soul hammering. He looked at Sans, who was blushing slightly, but was also wearing a small smile as he looked up at Red with his starry eye-lights. The sight made Red relax into him, leaning slightly against the warmth of his chest. Sans felt a little warmer than usual, though Red supposed that was just because he felt cold. When they finally reached Grillby’s, it was almost dark, and the only noise audible was the faint buzz coming from inside the bar. Sans and Red paused just outside the door, and Sans turned to Red, his cheek bones a faint shade of blue. Without warning, he stood on his tiptoes, and pressed a quick kiss to Red’s teeth, causing him to give a small gasp of surprise. Sans drew away, blushing profusely. But, that smile had returned to his face, and Red couldn’t help but smile back. He followed Sans into the bar, his soul fluttering.

 

****

 

As soon as they entered the bar, Sans felt a wave of heat hit him. Still blushing, he removed Red’s jacket and handed it back to him.

“Um, th-thanks for letting me borrow it… I think I’ll be fine now.” In all honesty, Sans hadn’t really been cold in the first place, but he had wanted to wear Red’s jacket. He was rather reluctant to give it back, as the smell of Red lingered on it – that faint, musty smell, mixed in with something slightly spicy, and of course, a hint of mustard. Sans had never been a huge fan of mustard, but the smell was growing on him; it reminded him of Red.

Red hesitantly took his jacket back from Sans, looking a little surprised.

“Are you sure you don’t want to keep it?” he asked. Sans shook his head.

“No, no, it’s okay! It’s rather warm in here, I’ll be alright.”

Red frowned, slightly.

“It’s not that warm in here. To be honest, I still feel pretty cold.”

“All the more reason for you to keep it!” said Sans, beaming. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Shall we grab something to eat?” Red’s frown morphed into a grin, and he nodded.

“Hell yes, dude. I’m starving.”

They made their way over to the bar, where Grillby was wiping down a few glasses. It wasn’t nearly as busy as it had been the last time Sans had been here. He supposed it must have been a specials night or something, because now there were only a few small groups of monsters sitting in booths and at tables, and only one monster sitting at the bar. Sans frowned at the monster sitting on the other end of the bar. They looked awfully familiar… but he couldn’t properly tell, as they were mostly hidden by the shadows. He and Red slid onto two of the stools in the middle of the bar, and Grillby looked up, smirking slightly.

“Back for more beverages?” he asked, and Red scowled.

“Just two serves of the fries tonight, please Grillbz,” he said, a little stiffly. Grillby continued to look amused.

“I’ll start you off with two ciders—don’t worry, I’ll put them on your tab,” he added, seeing Red opening his mouth to protest. “Although,” Grillby’s eyes flickered to Sans, “I don’t suppose you’ll be paying that off any time soon.” Sans frowned in confusion, but he saw Red blushing slightly. Grillby smirked once again, before placing two bottles in front of them, and disappearing through a door behind the bar.

“Why won’t you be paying off your tab, Red?” Sans asked, curiously.

“I—I don’t want to talk about,” Red said, hurriedly, taking a sip of his drink, and glancing away. Sans frowned.

“Red, you shouldn’t exploit Grillby like that, it’s—”

“Look, I said I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Red still refused to look at him, seeming very preoccupied by his cider. Sans glared, putting his hands on his hips in indignation.

“You know, that’s very dishonest of you, Red. You can’t just not pay for things!”

To his surprise, Red blushed harder, still looking away very deliberately.

“Sh-shut up,” he mumbled, taking a long swig of his cider.

Sans was aghast. Red had never told him to shut up before. He decided to distract himself by taking a drink from his own bottle. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Grillby returned, carrying two plates of chips. He eyed them both, raising an eyebrow.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Shut up!” They both snapped at the same time, although Sans said it a little more tentatively, bringing a hand over his mouth as he did so. Grillby took a step away, holding his hands up innocently.

“Okay, sounds like you two need another drink.”

After fetching them each another bottle of cider, Grillby left Red and Sans to their own devices, and the silence continued. Sans was still feeling a little shaken at being told to shut up. After he was half way through his second drink, he decided he couldn’t take this anymore.

“Red—”

“Grillby and I used to sleep together, okay!” Red blurted, looking up at Sans. Sans stared at him in bewilderment, and Red suddenly blushed a very bright shade of cherry, looking away.

“Oh, uh…” Sans wasn’t quite sure how to react. “Okay.” He grabbed a chip off his plate, popping it into his mouth. Red looked up at him in shock.

“What?”

“I said, ‘okay’,” Sans repeated, raising his brow bone.

“B-but… what?”

Red seemed at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing. He looked completely perplexed.

"Uh... 'okay'. Would you like me to write it down?" Sans wiped his forehead, catching a few small beads of sweat on the back of his hand. “Boy, it’s a bit stuffy in here, isn’t it?”

“You—you’re not mad?” Red asked, still looking bewildered. Sans frowned.

“Mad? About what?”

“About—about me sleeping with Grillby! How aren’t you angry with me?” Red’s eye-lights were wide, and Sans’ frown deepened.

“Did you… sleep with him recently? When we were… t-together?” Sans struggled to get the word out, not quite sure they’d properly defined this relationship yet.

“W-well, no,” said Red, “but—”

“Then why should I be mad?” Sans asked, puzzled. He didn’t understand what Red was on about.

“B-because—well, uh…” Red paused, as if thinking.

“Oh, wait! I know – it’s because we haven’t had… s-sex yet, isn’t it?” Sans must have said the wrong thing, because Red looked at him, suddenly, eyes going wide, and he shoved a hand over Sans’ mouth.

“No!” he hissed. “And keep your voice down! We don’t need to announce to the entire bar that we haven’t—did you just lick my hand?” Red had suddenly pulled his hand away sharply, and was staring at Sans, looking more shocked than he had the entire night. Sans went still, urging his conjured tongue to disappear.

“N-no!” he squeaked, his voice going up a pitch. He wasn’t quite sure what had just come over him. Red’s hand had just been right there, covering his mouth, and the scent of Red had hit him all of a sudden, bringing about a strange urge, and—and it had just happened! He hadn’t meant for it to! Red was staring at him, his hand still hovering between them. Sans glanced at it, and saw a tiny fleck of blue magic on one of Red’s phalanges. He blushed, avoiding Red’s eyes. “I—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” He forced his magic to calm down, finally managing to dispel his conjured cyan tongue.

“Uh—it’s, uh, okay,” Red said, although he sounded uncertain, and he was blushing again. He quickly turned away, taking a swig of his drink, and shoving a handful of fries in his mouth. Sans did the same, munching on the chips deliberately, trying to quash the bright blue which was burning on his cheek bones. He wiped his forehead again, feeling rather hot. After a while, Red broke the silence. “Um, I’m just going to go to the, uh, bathroom really quickly… you’ll be alright by yourself for a couple of minutes, won’t you? Grillby will be right here.” Red looked at Sans, tentatively, and after a few moments of surprised hesitation, Sans nodded.

“Oh—yes, of course! G-go ahead.” Red nodded, sliding off his stool and strolling off in the direction of the bathroom. Sans frowned after him, a slight sense of suspicion creeping up on him. Skeleton monsters didn’t use the bathroom…

“H-hello, Blue, is it?”

Sans jumped at the sound of a nervous voice… a very familiar voice, in fact. He spun around to see the bar’s only other resident, a yellow monster wearing a black hat and jacket. A very familiar yellow monster.

“C-Capt—Alphys?” Sans asked, in surprise. The monster standing beside him was certainly Alphys, although Sans almost hadn’t recognised her out of her armour, and without her scarred eye. And this Alphys also had a slightly different demeanour to the monster he knew. Her posture was slightly slouched, her hands fidgeting around the small bag she was carrying. She gave him a nervous smile.

“Um, y-yes.” She frowned slightly. “H-how did you know?” Sans’ eyes widened, realising he wasn’t meant to have met Alphys before – at least, not the one from this universe.

“Oh, you know, um, my brother… told me what you look liked, so uh, I just… recognised you.” Sans didn’t think he sounded very convincing, but Alphys didn’t seem perturbed.

“Oh, y-your brother, Stretch?”

Sans nodded.

“Yes!” he said, beaming. “He met you when you were looking at… his soul.” Alphys blushed, nodding, and Sans felt a little awkward himself.

“Um, yes,” she said, looking at the floor. There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

“Do you, erm, want to… sit?” Sans asked, gesturing at the seat beside him. Alphys looked up.

“Oh, er, s-sure.” She clambered onto the seat, placing her bag in her lap, still fidgeting with it. “I, um, actually w-wanted to come say hello s-sooner, but…” Alphys blushed slightly. “The truth is, R-Red, um, sc-scares me a little.” Alphys looked down, her hands fiddling with the small zip of her bag. Sans was taken aback.

“Red?” he asked, laughing slightly. “Why?” Alphys smiled a little, still looking down.

“W-well, I mean… I work with his brother – E-Edge – all the time, s-so I’m used to him. But Red… well, h-he’s a bit mysterious, don’t you think?” Sans frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“W-well, I don’t know, m-maybe I’m just paranoid, b-but, it always seems like he knows more than he lets on…” Alphys drifted off, eyeing Sans, as if gauging his reaction. Sans was a little taken aback.

“O-oh, well…” Sans thought about it. He supposed Red could be rather mysterious at times, but it had never particularly bothered Sans. He was sure if Red were hiding anything major, he would know. “Not… really? I don’t know.” Sans shrugged, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. He wiped his brow bone, his hand coming away stained slightly blue. “Bit hot in here, isn’t it?” he asked, mostly rhetorically. He went to take another sip of his drink, but realised it was finished. “Er, oh… hang on a second, I’m just going to grab another drink.” He looked at Alphys. “Would you, um, like anything?” Alphys looked surprised, and shook her head.

“Oh—n-no, that’s alright. I don’t really drink.”

Sans frowned slightly. A little odd for Alphys to be in a bar if that were the case. He supposed it must just be for the ambience.

“Oh, ok, well I’ll just grab a drink and…” Sans glanced around. “Hmm, Red’s been gone a while actually, maybe I should go check on him.” Sans hoped Red wasn’t in any trouble. It was rather suspicious that he’d gone to the bathroom in the first place.

“O-oh, okay,” said Alphys. “W-well how about you go check on R-Red, and I’ll order y-your drink for you.” She gave Sans an anxious smile, which he returned, eye-lights brightening.

“Oh wow! How thoughtful of you,” he said, beaming. “Thank you! I—I won’t be a moment!” Sans scampered off in the direction of the bathroom, leaving Alphys sitting at the bar alone. When Sans reached the bathroom door, he knocked, tentatively. “Red? Are you in there?” There was a muffled response from inside, and the sound of something crashing. “Red?” Sans shoved open the door, to see Red, standing in front of the basin, grinning sheepishly. There was a cherry blush on his cheeks, and a smashed soap dish on the floor.

“H-hey, Blue,” Red said, his tone a little too casual. Sans raised his brow bone.

“Are you… okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright! I, er… just dropped the soap dish by accident.” Red was still looking a little bit like a babybones caught stealing from the cookie jar.

“Er, okay…” Sans said, slowly. “Well, are you done in here? Wanna come back to the bar?” Red nodded, quickly, then seemed to change his mind, shaking his head.

“Y-yeah! Er, well no, actually, I just need a couple more minutes then I’ll be right out.” He looked at Sans with a strained expression, his gold tooth glinting. Sans frowned, but nodded his head, slowly.

“Uh, okay well… I’ll see you in a minute then.”

“Y-yeah, in a minute!” said Red. Sans turned, hovering in the doorway for a moment, before shaking his head, and heading back to the bar. He was surprised to see that Alphys was gone, but there was a fresh drink sitting on the bar. Grillby was standing nearby, wiping down one of the tables.

“Your friend ordered that for you,” he said, indicating the drink.

“Oh, she did?” Sans sat down. “Did she say where she went?” Grillby shrugged, not looking up.

“Said she got called away on some urgent business.”

“Oh.” Well, that was strange, Sans thought. But he shrugged it off, figuring that Alphys had a lot of duties as the Royal Scientist. He took a sip of the drink on the counter. “Hm, wow, this is really good,” he said, lifting the drink up to eye level. “What is it?” Grillby looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he walked past.

“Bourbon?” he said, giving Sans a strange look.

“Oh, Edge must be rubbing off on me,” Sans figured. The drink sent a pleasant cool feeling to his soul, which had been feeling rather warm. Grillby, who had now returned to his usual place behind the bar, must not have heard Sans properly, because he looked at him with a dubious expression.

“You’re sleeping with Red _and_ his brother?”

Sans’ eyes flew wide, and he stared at Grillby with incredulity.

“W-what? _No!”_

Grillby seemed unfazed, shrugging.

“Just Red then?”

“N-no! Neither of them!” Sans felt himself blushing a bright shade of cyan, his cheeks hot. He wiped his forehead.

“Hm, really?” Grillby gave him a skeptical look. “That’s not what it looks like to me.” Sans glared at Grillby, flustered.

“Y-yes well, no one asked you!” Sans did his best to look angry, but Grillby only chuckled.

“Well, take it from someone who has experience getting Red in bed – go for the arse. He loves it.”

Sans wasn’t sure whether to scold Grillby for his lewdness, attempt to laugh it off, or just run away. Instead, he simply found himself staring, his eye-lights wide with bewilderment. Grillby was looking amused, as if Sans’ embarrassment somehow entertained him.

“Wha—uh—”

“Well, honestly, with the way you smell tonight, you won’t need to do much.”

Sans frowned in confusion.

“Smell? What—”

“Well, here he comes.” Grillby inclined his head over Sans’ shoulder, and Sans spun to see Red approaching. “Trust me – the butt – it’ll work.” Grillby winked before sauntering away, leaving Sans with a burning blush on his cheek bones. What had Grillby meant – the way he _smelled_ tonight? He must have misheard. Sans glanced at Red as he climbed back onto his seat beside him. He was looking a little flustered, a faint cherry blush on his cheek bones.

“Welcome back, Red,” Sans said, placing a hand on Red’s shoulder. To his surprise, Red jumped slightly, as if he hadn’t noticed Sans sitting there.

“O-oh, thanks Blue,” he stammered, looking away quickly, his blush intensifying. Sans frowned.

“Is everything alright, Red? You seem a bit…”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” said Red, waving him off. He seemed to recompose himself, because he turned to Sans, smiling. “Uh, how about we get another drink?” he asked. Sans hesitated for a moment, and Red suddenly seemed to notice Sans’ almost empty glass of bourbon. “Oh, you got one without me.”

“Oh, n-no!” Sans said, quickly. “No, Alphys bought this for me!” Red’s eye sockets widened.

_“Alphys?”_ He looked incredulous. “As in, _Doctor_ Alphys? She was here?”

“Um, yes… why—”

“She doesn’t even drink, what on earth was she doing here?”

Sans shrugged.

“I was thinking the same thing! But she was very kind to me – and she bought me this drink!” Sans beamed, finishing the rest of his bourbon, the liquid sending a refreshing rush of cold through his bones. Red eyed the empty glass, his expression oddly suspicious. Sans felt guilty all of a sudden. “B-but, I wouldn’t mind another!” He smiled at Red, hoping the other skeleton wasn’t upset with him or anything. Red observed him for a moment, before nodding. Sans’ smile widened. “Oh! And, um, ice in mine, please!” he added, wiping his forehead. Red gave him a strange look, but nodded once again.

Once Grillby had brought them their drinks, they sat in silence, sipping on them. These drinks also sent a cool flow through Sans, although it wasn’t as strong as it had been with the bourbon – despite the ice. Bourbon certainly was his drink! Although, Sans was feeling rather warm. He supposed it must be because of their proximity to the fiery bartender.

“Hey, um, Red,” he ventured, and Red looked up from his drink. “Would it be okay if we sat in a booth?” Red looked surprised.

“Er, yeah sure…” He stood up, and Sans followed him to one of the booths in the corner. He still felt a little warm, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he suddenly found himself rather grateful for the booth’s privacy. Once they’d sat down, he shuffled close to Red, and slid a hand up his thigh, leaning against him. Red made a small sound of surprise, and looked up at Sans with wide eye-lights. _“W-what are you doing?”_ he hissed, and Sans halted his hand.

“Oh—s-sorry! I was just… I’ll stop.” He reluctantly began to pull his hand away, but he was stopped by Red, who grasped his hand in his own.

“N-no… don’t,” he said, quietly, looking into Sans’ eye-lights, his own, an intense shade of crimson. “I-I mean, you don’t have to stop… if you don’t want to.” Red averted his eyes, blushing. Sans stared at him for a couple of moments, before returning his hand to Red’s leg, running small circles over it. Red smiled at him, and brought a hand up to cup Sans’ face. A fresh wave of warmth spread over Sans’ body, amplifying the slightly hot feeling that was already in his soul. Without waiting for Red to initiate it, Sans leaned forward and pressed their mouths together, kissing Red hard. Red let out a sharp gasp, but quickly returned the kiss, bringing his tongue to meet Sans’, which was already dripping with cyan magic, running over Red’s sharpened teeth. Taking Red’s heavy breathing as a hint, Sans began to trail his hand up Red’s thigh, pausing before he reached Red’s pelvic bone. Red felt strangely cool beneath his hands and mouth, but it was a pleasant feeling, and Sans pressed himself closer, eager to taste him.

“Hmm, Sans…” Red hummed, and his use of Sans’ real name sent a hot jolt through Sans, a burning feeling gathering at his crotch. He kissed Red harder, pushing his tongue into Red’s cool mouth, bringing his other hand up to the back of Red’s skull, completely dominating the kiss. Red’s own hands were scrunched up in Sans’ shirt, one at his chest, the other clinging to his back. But it wasn’t enough. Sans wanted to feel every inch of Red’s body, he wanted to feel Red’s hands all over him, touching him, feeling him, extinguishing the burning heat that seemed to be running through his bones. He broke the kiss suddenly, and Red looked at him, eyes wide. “B-Blue, are you…” Red trailed off as Sans took one of Red’s hands in his own, slowly bringing it up to his mouth. He then brought out his conjured tongue, and ran it languidly over the phalange, hearing Red’s breath hitch, an intense look crossing his features. Sans sucked on the digit, before removing it from his mouth, and bringing Red’s hand down. Sans trailed it over his chest, down his vertebrae, until he reached his own pelvic bone, where a cyan glow was visible through his trousers. Red’s eyes widened once again, and Sans leaned forward, pressing his tongue against Red’s, tasting him, licking over his mouth.

“S-Sans…” Red whispered against him, and Sans suddenly pushed Red’s hand beneath his own pants, so that it came into contact with the coalescing blue magic there. The touch sent a surge of pleasure rushing through him, and he almost whined when Red pulled his hand back, breaking the kiss at the same time. “Sans!” he uttered, aghast, staring at Sans. “What are you doing?” Sans gulped, looking back at him with a guilty expression.

“Um, I just…” Sans leaned forward again, but Red pushed him away.

“Sans, not here!” Red hissed.

“B-but—”

“Yes, I agree,” said a smooth voice, and Sans jumped, looking up to see Grillby leaning a hand against their table, gathering their empty drink glasses. “As much as I’d enjoy the show, I suggest you take this party… elsewhere.” Grillby gave Sans a deliberate look, mouthing something that looked an awful lot like, _‘butt’_ , before strolling away, carrying a tray of glasses. Red looked a little embarrassed, a faint red blush on his cheek bones.

“R-Red, I’m really sorry, I—”

“N-no, don’t be,” Red said, shaking his head. “H-he’s right though, we should continue this at home.” Sans looked up at Red in surprise, another hot twinge going through him.

“C-continue?”

“Uh… yes. I-if you want to, that is!” Red added, quickly, and Sans smiled.

“Yes!” he exclaimed. “Y-yes, I do!” Red smiled back, his blush deepening. “B-but our brothers are at home… maybe we should go somewhere else?” Red paused, considering.

“Hmm, I suppose you’re right… but where else could we go?”

Sans shifted in his seat, uncomfortably, starting to feel impatient.

“Um, I don’t know, who cares? Uh, how about Waterfall? Yeah, let’s just go there! That seems as good a place as any!” Sans did his best to hide his burning cheeks, bringing a hand to wipe the sweat at his forehead once more.

“Er, Waterfall?” Red asked, looking dubious. “I don’t really know if that’s—”

“For goodness sake, Red, just take me somewhere before I explode!” Sans cried. A few of the bar’s patrons looked up, and Sans lowered his voice. “S-sorry, I’m just feeling very… very…” Red shook his head, although he looked rather taken aback.

“No, it’s okay. Waterfall it is!” He took Sans’ hand, a fresh wave of heat running through Sans’ bones. Red led them out the front of the bar, and Sans was grateful for the relief of the cold air outside. Then, without further hesitation, Red took a short-cut out of the snow.

 

****

 

Red felt his feet hit soft grass, his hand still clasped firmly around Sans’. He glanced around when the world stopped spinning.

“Oh, er… oops. Didn’t mean to bring us here.”

They weren’t in the Echo Flower area he normally brought them to, but were instead near a grassy area beside a small pool of glowing water. They were actually rather near Undyne’s house, Red realised. His lack of orienteering probably had something to do with the way his mind was so distracted by Sans tonight. He hadn’t noticed it until they’d reached Grillby’s, but Sans was smelling rather… nice, this evening. It was sort of intoxicating. Red blushed slightly as he remembered the way he’d had to excuse himself to the bathroom, his magic getting a little out of control - only to have Sans almost walk in on him. And when he’d finally managed to calm himself down enough to return, Sans had practically jumped his bones right there in the booth. It was a small miracle they’d even made it to Waterfall – Red was feeling very horny.

“Oh, who cares?” Sans breathed, and suddenly, his mouth was on Red’s, who gasped slightly as Sans kissed him. Sans felt hot, his body pressed flush against Red’s, his tongue already exploring every inch of Red’s mouth. He brought his hands to the back of Red’s neck, pulling him closer. Red trailed his own hands down Sans’ back, bringing one of them to rest on Sans’ hip. Sans’ tongue was warm in Red’s mouth, and he moaned slightly against the feeling of Sans’ magic.

“Heh, fuck, Blue…” He murmured, as Sans began to trail his hand down Red’s spine, sending a pleasant shiver through him. His magic was slowly starting to build again. Well, so much for spending twenty minutes in the bathroom trying to get it under control.

“Language…” Sans mumbled against his mouth, and Red chuckled slightly. His laugh quickly turned into a surprised gasp, though, as Sans’ hand reached his backside, where his magic had started to build. Red himself was rather versed when it came to the sexual anatomy of skeletons, and he knew that very few of them ever conjured their magic in that particular area. Sans gave Red a gentle squeeze, and his crimson magic responded enthusiastically.

“Hm! Christ, Blue,” Red mumbled against his mouth. “D-did Grillby tell you to do that?” Sans immediately froze, and Red opened his eyes to see Sans’ own blue eye-lights wide.

“Um…”

“Heh, it’s okay.” Red smirked. “He gave you some good advice.” Sans’ eye-lights went bright, and he ran his hand over Red’s forming arse again, pressing his phalanges against the soft magic. Red hummed, licking into the heat of Sans’ mouth, sliding their tongues together. “Mm, Christ, Blueberry… what’s gotten—hm—into you, tonight? I mean…ha… I love it, but—ah!” Red gave a surprised yelp as Sans pushed him backwards, causing him to fall onto his back on the soft grass. “Blue, what the fu—aah…” Red trailed off with a moan, as Sans dropped so that he was lying on top of him, and grinded his hips against Red’s. The hot feeling of Sans’ magic through their clothes sent a jolt of arousal through Red, and he felt himself growing hard beneath his trousers.

“Mweh, sorry Red,” Sans mumbled, against his neck, “you just feel… _really good_ tonight.” Sans licked over the vertebrae of Red’s neck, and he moaned softly.

“Aah, stars, Blue…”

Red reflexively pushed his hips upward, Sans’ burning magic even more prominent through his pants now. Red let his eyes fall closed, the sensation of Sans’ warm tongue and hot arousal sending a series of pleasant shudders through Red, his soul aching for more.

“Mm, Red, you taste amazing…”

“Jesus, Sans… hah—”

“FOR FUCK’S SAKE, ARE ALL SKELETONS JUST FUCKING HORNY ALL THE TIME?”

The sound of the third voice made both Red and Sans jump. Sans clambered off Red, flopping beside him on the grass, and Red sat up, doing his best to hide his very obvious glowing arousal. Before them stood Undyne, clad in a purple dressing gown, her hair messy, and a very disgruntled look on her face.

“H-hey, Undyne…” Red said, awkwardly, forcing a sheepish smile onto his face. She glared at him, arms folded across her chest, her good eye glinting in the darkness.

“Hey _yourself,_ asshole! You woke me up!”

Red blushed, his smile faltering. Beside him, he could practically see Sans’ cheek bones illuminating the darkness around him.

“Oh. Er, sorry about that…”

“God, you’re even worse than your brother!” Undyne growled. “He practically wanted to bone Stretch in Alphys’ lab the other day! But you – YOU’RE DOING IT ON THE FUCKING GRASS!”

“S-sorry, C-Captain Undyne!” Sans squeaked, jumping to his feet. “We—we didn’t mean to be so… so, um, loud!” Red flushed, realising that it was probably his fault Undyne had heard them. “We’ll, um, we’ll get out of your way now!”

Undyne regarded them both with an irritated expression, then sighed.

“No, well, since you’re here, I might as well tell you…” Red climbed to his feet, crossing his hands in front of his crotch, still struggling to stem his magic. “I wanna continue your training tomorrow,” Undyne said, looking at Sans.

Red immediately forgot his arousal, his soul going cold. Papyrus had told him exactly what Undyne had planned for Sans’ next training session, confirming his earlier suspicions. He stared at Undyne in horror, a sudden dark emptiness seeming to fill the air around them. Sans, however, practically lit up, his glistening blue eye-lights going wide.

“T-tomorrow? Wowie!” Sans beamed. “Thank you, Captain! I will be here before dawn!” Red gritted his teeth, trying his best to keep his voice neutral.

“U-Undyne, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Undyne gave him a cool expression.

“Why yes, _Red_ , I am.” She gave him a knowing look, and Red assumed she’d deduced that he knew about her plan.

“B-but surely—it’s too soon, isn’t it?” Red scrambled for an excuse, but Undyne shook her head, obviously not deterred.

“No, it isn’t. We need as many fighters as we can get – and soon.”

“But Undyne—”

“Why don’t you want me to continue my training, Red?” Red looked up at Sans, eyes wide. Sans was giving him a confused – and almost hurt – look. “Do you not think I’m… good enough?” Red shook his head, profusely.

“That’s—that’s not what I mean. It’s just—”

“You are good enough, Blue,” Undyne interrupted. “And you’re ready. We _will_ continue tomorrow.” She gave Red a calculating stare, and he scowled back.

“You can’t make him do this, Undyne!” Red hissed.

“M-make me do what?” Sans asked, eyes wide. “Red, what are you talking about?”

“Blue, for you to advance any further in your training, you’ll need to—”

_“Don’t you dare tell him,”_ Red growled, cutting Undyne off.

_“Tell me what!”_ Sans yelled in exasperation, and Red looked at him, shaking his head, his soul suddenly filling with despair.

“B-Blue, I can’t…”

“You need to gain LOVE, Blue,” said Undyne, simply.

Red dropped his gaze, unable to look Sans in the eye as the smaller skeleton’s expression fell. A heavy weight seemed to settle in the pit of Red’s soul.

“W-what?” Sans’ voice was small, almost a whisper.

“How do you expect to be able to fight if you’re too weak?” Undyne asked, her tone harsh.

“B-but I’ll have to… I’ll have to…”

“If you wanna be in the Royal Guard, you’ve gotta be able to kill, Blue.” Undyne sounded serious now, that familiar authoritative edge to her voice. “What did you think it would be? Friendly patrols around the neighbourhood? How do you expect to fight if you have no real strength? How can you protect your friends if you aren’t even willing to kill for them?”

Red looked up at Sans, and his soul ached at the expression on the little Blueberry’s face. Sans’ eye-lights were glistening, as if there were tears in his eyes, and he was quivering slightly, that look of pure innocence shattered. Red wanted nothing more in that moment, than to pull him close and protect him. He took a step towards Sans, reaching out a hand.

“Blue…”

“N-no!” Sans cried, pushing Red away, his eyes not leaving Undyne. “S-so you’re saying that… I have to—to k-kill someone?” Undyne nodded, her eyes narrowed.

“I need fighters, Blue. And in this world, fighting means killing.”

“I… I don’t—”

“He’s _not_ doing it, Undyne!” Red snarled, situating himself between Sans and Undyne, protectively. “So you can just fuck off. He _won’t_ be seeing you at training tomorrow.” Undyne glared at Red, her eye glinting.

“I think that’s his decision, _brat,”_ she fumed, looking at Sans. “What’s it gonna be, Blue?” Sans seemed to tremble before Undyne, a conflicted look on his face. His expression was strained, his brow bone creased.

“I… I can’t… I c-can’t—”

“Well then, you can forget about joining the Royal Guard,” Undyne snapped. “We need warriors, not little Blueberries too afraid to do what it takes to protect the people they care about.” And with that, Undyne turned on her heel and marched back up the path towards her house. Once she was gone, Red turned to Sans, who was staring at the ground, his sparkling eye-lights seeming to shimmer.

“Sans…” Red began.

“You knew.” Sans wasn’t looking at Red, but his tone was dark, unlike Red had ever heard it before.

“Sans, w-what—”

“You _knew_ she wanted me to gain LOVE!” Sans cried, looking up. There were angry tears in his eyes.

“Sans, I—”

“You _knew_ Undyne was planning on making me kill someone! But you didn’t tell me! You kept it a secret from me!” The tears began to fall from Sans’ eye sockets, staining his cheek bones a transparent shade of cyan. “How _could you,_ Red? How could you do that? You—you lied to me!” Red felt his soul lurch in his chest, and he gritted his teeth, almost painfully so.

“I—I’m sorry, Sans…” Red looked at Sans in earnest. “I’m so sorry. But… it wasn’t my secret to tell.” Sans frowned in confusion, the tears still falling down his face.

“W-what? Then who…?” Realisation seemed to dawn on Sans, his eyes widening, expression freezing. “M-my brother…” Sans stared at Red, expression blank, his eye-lights still quivering. “Papyrus… he knew about this?” Red nodded, his soul sinking. The look on Sans’ face sent a twinge of empathy through him, knowing the betrayal he must have been feeling.

“Sans, I’m—”

“Take me home.”

Red looked at Sans in bewilderment.

“What?”

“Red, take me home. Now.”

Red had never heard Sans sound so dangerous. His tone wasn’t angry, but Red could tell that he was struggling to keep it under control. The look on his face was dark. He had stopped crying, but his cheek bones were still stained, and his teeth were gritted. Red could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of cyan magic in Sans’ left eye socket.

“Sans—”

_“Now, Red.”_

Red hesitated for a moment, before reaching a hand out, and taking one of Sans’. Sans didn’t hold Red back, the way he normally did. His hand was limp and still, although Red could feel it shaking slightly. Sans’ bones still felt hot, as they had earlier in the evening, but there was a hint of coldness beneath them; like an icy rage emanating from his soul.

Without waiting another second, Red teleported them away from Waterfall. He could have sworn he saw a flash of darkness in Sans’ eye-lights as they landed.


	47. Chapter 47

The moment they landed on the front porch, Sans yanked his hand from Red’s grip, storming into the house.

_“PAPYRUS!”_ he yelled. _“PAPYRUS, WHERE ARE YOU?”_ He could feel a burning rage coursing through his bones, almost consuming his soul with its burning cold fire. He had never felt so angry in his life. In fact, Sans wasn’t sure he’d ever been angry at his brother before – at least, not for real. He often found his brother’s timely quips to be irksome, but he usually snapped at him to just humour him. But this – this feeling he had, right now. This was rage. Rage unlike anything he’d felt in his life. It burned through him, cold and fierce, like a drive, urging him to lash out – or at least do something. He shot a glance around the living room, but his brother wasn’t there. He stormed up the stairs, looking down the passageway. “PAPYRUS, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?”

This earned him an immediate response. Papyrus emerged from the bathroom, looking bewildered. Edge was just behind him, his own crimson eye-lights wide.

“Sans? Bro, what—”

But Papyrus’ words were cut off by a surprised yelp, as Sans descended upon him, shoving him against the wall with all his strength, pinning him by his chest. Sans could feel the burning hot magic flaring in his left eye socket, fuelled by his overpowering fury.

_“You lied to me, you traitorous bastard,”_ Sans growled, shoving Papyrus hard.

“S-Sans—”

_“You lied to me! You—you didn’t tell me—you didn’t tell me that Undyne wanted me to gain LOVE!”_ Sans cried, even as he felt Edge pulling him off Papyrus. He kicked and fought against Edge, wanting nothing more than to rush at Papyrus, to lash out, to let out his anger. _“You—you betrayed me!”_ he screamed.

“Blue, that’s enough!” Sans heard Edge’s voice behind him, unable to escape the taller skeleton’s strong grip.

“Let me go!” he hissed. _“Get off me! Oh, I’ll show you LOVE. I’m going to kill him!”_

Sans glared up at his brother, expecting to see anger, or hurt, or even his usual lazy smirk, mocking him. But it was none of those things. The look on Papyrus’ face was something entirely different.

It was fear.

His golden eye-lights were wide, and his teeth were pressed together, as if to stop them from quivering. His entire body was shaking, and he was pressed against the wall, his arms wrapped around himself protectively, fingers clutching onto his hoodie. And he was afraid. Sans had never seen his brother look so afraid. Not when they’d run away. Not when he’d realised they were in Underfell. Not even when he’d thought Edge was going to try and hurt them. Never. Sans had never seen his brother like this.

And just like that, as if a switch had been flipped, Sans’ anger dissipated. It was as if it had never been there in the first place, leaving nothing but a cold, yet burning, ache in his soul. He went still in Edge’s grasp, staring at his brother. The way his face quivered slightly, the way his whole body shook, the way he was clutching onto himself, as if he was trying to protect himself. The way his eye-lights were so full of terror, and despair, as he looked at Sans.

“P-Papy…” Sans’ voice was small, all previous rage dispelled from his tone.

“S-Sans…” Papyrus voice shook slightly as he spoke. “Please… please don’t…”

“Papy, I…I—” Sans struggled in Edge’s grip, but Edge still wouldn’t let him go. “L-let me go, Edge, please!” He looked up at the skeleton holding onto him. Edge’s glare was menacing, his eye sockets narrowed, eye-lights full of distrust.

“You just threatened to murder your own brother,” Edge growled, his voice low. “You’re not getting anywhere near him until you come to your senses.” Sans felt tears springing to his eyes, and he stared up at Edge, a desperation in his soul.

“P-please, Edge! I didn’t mean it… I would never— _never_ hurt my brother!” Sans started to sob, and Edge’s expression suddenly softened, as if he realised that Sans’ bout of fury was over. He still seemed reluctant to let Sans go though, casting an anxious glance in Papyrus’ direction.

“E-Edge,” Papyrus whispered, “please, let him…” Edge had released Sans before Papyrus even finished his sentence, and Sans rushed forward, throwing his arms around his brother’s waist.

“P-Papy, I’m so sorry! I didn’t—I didn’t mean it!” Sans’ tears flowed from his eye sockets, splashing onto Papyrus’ hoodie. Sans felt his brother bring his arms around him, but his grip was hesitant. “I would never hurt you, Papy—never! I was just so—so angry, I don’t know why. I couldn’t—couldn’t control it.” Sans’ soul ached for his brother. He wanted nothing more than to protect Papyrus, to hold his brother close, to keep him safe by his side. Sans loved his brother more than anything else in the world – in all the worlds. What could possibly have driven him to say such awful things to him – to threaten to _kill_ him? Sans buried his face in Papyrus’ chest, crying harder.

“I know, S-Sans,” Papyrus breathed above him, his voice still shaky. “I-I know you didn’t.” Even now, as Sans was wrapped in his arms, he could still feel Papyrus’ tentativeness to hug him back – as if he was still afraid Sans might suddenly detonate.

“Papy, please—please forgive me. I would never, ever do that to you. I—I don’t know what… why I…” Sans broke off, choking on his words. It felt so strange to be wrapped in his brother’s arms, when a moment ago, he had wanted nothing more than to smash his head against the wall, to hear him cry out in pain… to see his dust crumbling through his hands—no! How could that be? Sans loved his brother, how could such vile and vicious emotions have overwhelmed him like that? He pressed himself harder against Papyrus, until he could feel the distant flicker of his soul through his chest.

“Blue…” Sans looked up to see Edge standing behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder. “What happened? Why were you so… so angry?” Edge was frowning, something unreadable deep within his eye-lights.

“I—I don’t know.” Sans pressed his face against Papyrus’ chest once again, as if the warmth of his brother’s soul might quash the ice within his own. “I don’t know,” he whispered.

 

****

 

“He wanted to kill me, Edge. He—he wanted to… to dust me right there, and I…”

Papyrus was wrapped in Edge’s arms, his head buried in the other skeleton’s chest. Sans had gone to bed, saying that he wasn’t feeling well, and Red had stayed with him in the other room. It had been about an hour since they had returned home, and stars it had been a difficult hour.

Sans’ sudden bout of seemingly uncontrollable rage had apparently been random, because it hadn’t returned. Although, there had been a brief moment where it had taken every ounce of Edge's self-control to stop himself from trying to pry Sans off his brother, when he’d caught a glimpse of what he could’ve sworn was a flicker of darkness within the smaller skeleton’s eye-lights. Edge had been even more reluctant to leave Sans and Papyrus alone. He knew that Sans had promised not to hurt his brother, but there had been no mistaking that look. That look in Sans’ eye when he’d shoved his brother against the wall, when he’d screamed at him, threatened to _kill_ him. Edge had seen that look in monsters’ eyes before – but never had he dreamed of seeing it in Sans’.

That had been hatred. A cold, cruel hatred, reserved only for the most twisted of souls. Edge couldn’t comprehend how he’d seen such a dark emotion on the face of someone so kind, so innocent, so loving. And it had been directed at Papyrus.

And the look on Papyrus’ face. That raw terror. Edge had never seen Papyrus look so frightened. Not even when Edge had dusted that monster in front of him. And that look – it had shattered Edge’s soul. He hated seeing Papyrus so scared, knowing that he couldn’t protect him. Knowing that the fear in Papyrus’ eyes hadn’t been a fear for his own safety, but for Sans’. Edge knew that seeing Sans that way – so full of rage, so ready to kill – was everything Papyrus feared most.

When Sans had gone to bed, there had been a strange look about the him, his cheeks flushed, sweat on his forehead, a look of pure exhaustion on his face. Papyrus had wanted to go with Sans, but that had been where Edge had drawn the line. He’d insisted that Papyrus stay with him tonight.

And now, here they were. Edge, holding Papyrus against his chest. Papyrus wasn’t crying. In fact, he was barely moving. He was limp, using Edge as a support, a drained appearance about him. Edge’s soul ached. And not in a way that Alphys’ nifty little pills could fix. No, this was deeper than that. This was the same ache he’d felt the night Papyrus had tried to take his own life. The ache that had told him Papyrus was hurting, that Papyrus’ own soul was empty. Edge pulled him closer, as if their proximity might somehow heal Papyrus’ pain.

“He wanted to kill me,” said Papyrus, his tone heavy, tired. “I knew it wasn’t long before… before being in this world got to him.”

“Papyrus…” Edge’s voice was barely a whisper. He ran a hand over Papyrus’ spine, hoping to sooth him. “You know it wasn’t—”

“He _hated_ me,” Papyrus went on. “You—you saw him. If you hadn’t been there I don’t know if…” Edge’s soul stuttered, a cold feeling going over it.

“That’s… not true,” Edge said, but he was struggling to sound convincing. “Sans loves you, he wouldn’t have hurt you.” Papyrus looked up at him, a humourless smile on his face.

“Then why didn’t you let him go?”

Edge’s soul thumped, and he grimaced. He didn’t know what to say. He knew nothing he did could make this better. Nothing could change what Papyrus had seen tonight. Nothing could erase that memory – those words. _‘I’ll show you LOVE. I’m going to kill him.’_ They sent a chill through Edge’s soul.

“P-Papyrus…”

“Edge, I have to fix it.”

“Papyrus, what—”

“The Machine, Edge.”

Edge’s soul dropped, and he held Papyrus at arm’s length, looking at him intently.

“Papyrus, last time you tried going down there…”

Papyrus nodded, a strained expression on his face.

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed in frustration. “Fuck, I know. Everything is just—just so fucked up. I can’t protect my brother. And if I try to fix the one thing that might be able to get him home… to—to save him, I have a—a fucking panic attack.” Papyrus gritted his teeth, and Edge ran a soothing hand over his back. “But… please, Edge… I have to try. I can’t just—let some stupid anxiety thing hold me back.”

Edge gave him a dry smile.

“You know, I’d say it’s pretty normal to have a few anxiety problems after nearly dying.”

Papyrus sighed.

“I don’t care whether or not it’s normal – I just need it to go the fuck away so I can help my brother.”

Edge’s soul gave a painful twinge, and he looked at Papyrus empathetically.

“You know, you might need more time before you’re ready to—”

“Damn it, Edge, I don’t have time!” Edge frowned, his soul throbbing as he saw tears brimming in Papyrus’ eye sockets. “I mean, you—you saw Sans tonight. He… he was so… so dark.” Papyrus’ voice was barely a whisper. “He’s already been in this world too long, I d-don’t know how much longer he has before…” Papyrus drifted off, wiping away his forming tears with the back of his sleeve. Edge continued to gently run his hand over Papyrus’ back, soothingly. He wanted to point out that perhaps Sans’ behaviour this evening hadn’t only been because of ‘this world’ – that it had certainly been more than that. There had been a strange, uncontrolled hatred in Sans’ eyes, something much darker than a simple desire to kill. It had chilled Edge right through to the bone, and he was no stranger to killing.

But there was a desperate look in Papyrus’ eyes, and it struck something within Edge’s soul. A deep yearning, urging him to help the monster before him. Edge could feel the heaviness of Papyrus’ soul through his own, weighing him down. And even more than that, Edge could see it in him. That despair. The lack of energy. The only time Edge had seen him like this before had been in the week leading up to his suicide attempt. Edge suddenly squeezed Papyrus against him, the thought of losing him sending an uncomfortable jolt through his soul.

“What—what can I do?” he asked, desperately clutching Papyrus to his chest. “Please, tell me, I—I’ll help…”

“Just stay with me,” Papyrus whispered against him. “Stay with me, Edge.”

“Of course. Yes, yes, I will. Anything, Papyrus.”

Edge held Papyrus against him a little longer, not wanting to release him. As he always did when they were like this, Edge wished that he never had to let go, that he could hold Papyrus like this forever. But eventually, Papyrus pulled away, leaving a painful longing in his soul. Edge followed him to the door, but not before swallowing one of the white pills from the bottle Alphys had given him. Papyrus looked at him, eyes flickering to the bottle.

“It still hurts?” he asked. Edge nodded, soberly.

“It always hurts.”

Papyrus stared at him for a couple of seconds, something distant flickering in his eye-lights, before he took a hold of Edge’s hand, sending a smooth wave of calm over his soul, and led him downstairs. When they reached the basement door outside, he paused, and Edge could feel his hand shaking slightly within his own. He gave Papyrus’ fingers a tight squeeze, and Papyrus looked at him. Edge gave him a small, reassuring smile, and nodded his head slightly.

“I’m right here with you, okay?” He gazed into Papyrus’ dim golden eye-lights, holding his gaze. After a few moments, Papyrus nodded, and, taking a deep breath, he turned the doorknob to the basement.

As soon as the door opened, the faint, musty smell of the basement hit Edge, and he was suddenly reminded of one of the worst moments of his life. He realised now that he hadn’t been down here since that night either. He could feel Papyrus squeezing his hand tightly.

“You’re okay,” Edge whispered, and he wondered if he was partially saying it for his own benefit. Papyrus seemed to steel himself, taking another deep breath, before slowly taking the first step onto the stairs leading down. Edge followed him, not letting go of his hand, and Papyrus gradually began to descend the staircase. It was slow going, Papyrus pausing every few steps to breathe in, or to look up at Edge, as if to make sure he was still there. But, they finally made it to the bottom. Edge stood beside Papyrus, just before the final doorway into the basement. Edge stared into the room, and his soul clenched. The last time he’d been standing here, Papyrus had been lying on the floor…

He shook off the thought. This wasn’t the time for him to start getting worked up. He needed to be there for Papyrus. Papyrus… He suddenly realised that the other skeleton had gone still. Edge looked at him, and saw an empty expression on his face. His eyes were wide, but blank, his eye-lights barely pin-pricks. There were a few small beads of sweat on his forehead, and Edge could feel him trembling slightly.

“Edge, I—I don’t know if I can do this…” Papyrus’ breaths were quickly growing short, sharp, and laboured. His hand was squeezing Edge’s so tightly it almost hurt. “E-Edge, I—” Edge brought a hand up to Papyrus’ face, standing in front of him. He held Papyrus’ gaze, staring into his eye-lights.

“Yes, you can,” he said, firmly. “You _can_ do this Papyrus.”

“Edge, I c-can’t—”

“You can.” Edge pressed his forehead against Papyrus’, closing his eyes. He ran his thumb over Papyrus’ cheek bone, gently. “I know you can, you’re strong, Papyrus. You can get through this, do you understand me? I’m right here with you.” He slowly pressed their mouths together, feeling Papyrus quivering slightly beneath him. “I love you,” he whispered, as he drew away. They stood like that for a few moments, their faces barely an inch from each other. Edge could feel Papyrus’ sharp breaths on his face, but gradually, they slowed, and became even. Edge pulled him into a gentle hug, before looking him in the eye. “You’re okay.” Gazing at Edge for a few moments, Papyrus nodded, before slowly drawing away. Hand still clutched inside Edge’s, Papyrus walked through the doorway into the basement.

The Machine loomed at the end of the room. As they approached it, Edge felt Papyrus’ grip on his hand getting tighter. Edge leaned closer to him, feeling Papyrus relax slightly as he did so. When they finally reached the large object, Papyrus stopped, standing directly in front of it. Edge examined the dark void where the Machine’s portal would normally be. He was awed to see that the cracks on its surface had almost completely disappeared. Only a long, thin sliver remained right through the middle of it. It seemed that Papyrus draining his soul into the Machine had almost completely mended it. Bright flashes of amber and gold appeared within the darkness. Edge was so entranced by it, that he didn’t notice that Papyrus was shaking until the other skeleton clutched onto his arm. Edge spun to face him, and saw that Papyrus’ breathing had become heavy again, and he was all but leaning against Edge for support. Edge quickly grasped both of Papyrus’ arms, holding him steady.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he assured, his voice soft. Papyrus’ breathing was heavy, and tears were brimming in his eye sockets. “You’re safe, Papyrus, it’s okay, I’m right here. Hey, look at me.” Edge placed a hand under Papyrus’ chin, lifting his head. “You’re okay.” Papyrus stared at him, eyes frantic.

“E-Edge, I can’t—” Papyrus gasped, clutching his chest “—c-can’t breathe.” Edge’s eye sockets widened, and he quickly pulled Papyrus away from the Machine, to the side of the room. He angled them so that Papyrus was facing away from the large metal object, facing Edge. Edge held him by his shoulders, looking him directly in the eye.

“Hey, hey, look at me, Papyrus. Look at me.” Papyrus’ breaths were coming short and quick, not actually drawing in the air around him. His eye-lights darted from left to right, as if he was unable to focus. “Papyrus,” Edge said, his voice firm, and Papyrus’ gaze snapped up to him, his eyes wide.

“Edge…”

“Focus on me, okay? Focus on my voice. You’re safe, I promise. I’m right here. You’re okay. Keep looking at me.” Edge took a deep breath, keeping his gaze on Papyrus’ eye-lights. He brought a hand to Papyrus’ chest, and, very slowly, he produced a small beam of crimson magic. Not enough to actually permeate through Papyrus, but enough to create a faint buzzing – a calming wave. “You remember this?” Edge asked, his focus not leaving Papyrus’ face. “Do you remember when I healed you?” Papyrus nodded, his teeth still gritted. “Good,” Edge said, his voice even. “You’re alive. This is what it feels like to be alive. You can breathe, okay? You’re allowed to breathe—keep looking at me.” Edge brought a hand to Papyrus’ cheek bone, holding his face level with his own. “I promise, you’re okay.”

After a few minutes of simple words and the light flourishes of Edge’s magic, Papyrus’ breathing started to even out. His gaze never left Edge’s face, and slowly, he brought a hand up to rest over Edge’s. Edge smiled at him.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, thumb caressing over Papyrus’ cheek bone.

“Better,” Papyrus answered. “But I think I would feel miles more relaxed if you kissed me.”

Edge raised his brow bone.

“Any other requests? Would you like me to fuck you on the basement floor?”

Papyrus grinned.

“I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Edge sighed.

“You’re insatiable.”

“I sure am.”

Papyrus leaned close, pressing his tongue against Edge’s teeth. Edge slowly met Papyrus’ honey-tasting magic with his own, and kissed him softly, his hand still running over his cheek bone. He could still feel Papyrus' slightly uneven breathing against his mouth, but when they withdrew, Papyrus was smiling.

“You ready?” Edge asked. Papyrus took a deep, slightly shaky breath, before nodding. He slowly turned to face the Machine, and Edge quickly came to stand beside him, gripping onto his hand.

“I’m—I’m okay,” Papyrus said, breathing deeply.

“I know you are,” Edge said, running his fingers over Papyrus’. “I just like holding your hand.” Papyrus smiled at him, rolling his eye-lights, before turning back to the Machine. They slowly approached it, the metal object looming above them. After taking another deep breath, Papyrus opened the glass doors, stepping inside. Edge hovered just behind him, his soul stuttering slightly when Papyrus let go of his hand. Edge noticed that Papyrus seemed to be shaking slightly. “Papyrus, are you sure you're okay?” he asked. Papyrus turned, nodding.

“Yes,” he said, his expression steeled. "I'm sure." He turned back to the gaping void before him. “It’s… it’s almost…” Papyrus was looking up at the glassy surface, his tone awed. Papyrus turned to Edge, grinning. “Heh, guess that suicide attempt wasn’t a waste of time after all.”

Edge frowned.

“Don’t say that.”

Papyrus smirked.

“Lighten up, Edgy. I’ve almost done it.” Papyrus was still smiling, and Edge felt his soul give a slight flutter at the faint glimmer of hope he thought he could see deep within his eye-lights. Papyrus still looked tired; that deep, run-down expression on his face. But right now, Edge’s soul was racing at the prospect that this could be it. Papyrus could finally be able to get home. He could finally be happy. Edge gave a small nod in the direction of the mirror, with just its single thin crack remaining, and Papyrus turned, taking a deep breath, and lifted his hands against the surface.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, damn it, I broke my thirty-something day streak of posting everyday! Nooo :(  
> I'm probably only going to be able to update a few times a week now, sorry!
> 
> But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you so much for reading!! xx

Something was wrong.

“Edge it’s not… it’s not working…”

Papyrus had rested his hands on the glassy surface, as he’d always done, and he was channelling a steady flow of golden magic against it. But nothing was happening. The magic wasn’t being absorbed by the darkness, as it normally was.

“Papyrus…”

“Edge… why—why isn’t it working?”

Papyrus was starting to feel frantic, and he pushed harder, forcing more magic against the void, urging it to go through, to take effect, to do _something._ But, much like it had when Edge and Red had tried it, his magic simply dissipated. Papyrus growled in frustration, and threw his fist against the surface, a small blast of golden magic emitting from it.

“Papyrus, stop…”

“This—can’t—be—happening!” Papyrus cried, banging his fists against the glassy void, bursts of magic erupting from them as he did so. “Not now. Not when—when I’m so damn close!” Papyrus slammed both his hands against the surface, a large flare of amber magic showering against it. But, once again, nothing happened. Papyrus stared at the Machine, feeling the flicker of hope he’d had in his soul moments ago extinguishing. He dropped to his knees in defeat, staring at the black void before him. “Edge, it’s… there’s no point, I can’t… Edge?” Papyrus turned, as he heard Edge give a small gasp. The rougher skeleton had dropped to the ground, and was clutching his chest. Through his black shirt, there was a visible bright crimson glow, which was pulsing. “Edge? Edge, what’s happening?” Papyrus scrambled over to Edge, lifting him into his arms. Edge’s expression was strained, his eye sockets clenched tightly closed, hands shaking as they clung onto his shirt.

“P-Papyrus, it… gah—it hurts…”

Papyrus looked at Edge, frantically, not knowing what to do.

“Y-your soul?” Papyrus hovered his hands over Edge’s, not wanting to touch him in case he accidentally hurt him. “What can I do, Edge? Please, tell me, what…” Papyrus trailed off as Edge reached his hands up, pressing them shakily to Papyrus’ chest.

“Your soul, Papyrus… please…”

_“M-my_ soul? What…” Papyrus’ eyes widened as he realised what Edge meant. He quickly lifted his hoodie, and drew out his own golden-orange soul, which was still glowing faintly amber with the magic he’d expended. But there was something else, too.

Within the swirling gold, was a small, but prominent, flicker of crimson. It too, was emitting a bright glow, mingling with the orange and gold. Papyrus held his soul in the palm of his hand, staring at it.

“It’s… your soul, Edge…”

“Papyrus… I…”

Edge’s breathing had become steadier, and he wasn’t as tensed up as he had been a moment ago, although his hand was still resting on his chest, a slightly strained look in his eye. Papyrus gently placed his own hand over Edge’s, and carefully lifted his shirt, revealing his ruby soul. It was glowing brightly, magic pulsing off it. But Papyrus noticed something strange about it. Faint tendrils of magic seemed to be emitting from the edges, dissipating in the air around it. It was as if Edge’s soul was losing magic, but Papyrus couldn’t understand why. His gaze fell back to his own soul, and something suddenly struck him.

He had just expended a lot of magic on the Machine. More than he normally did, especially in his frustration. But his soul was in perfect condition. More than that, in fact, its amber glow was deep and bright. The red within it pulsed in time with the orange, almost like a rhythmic flow of light. Not to mention, the Machine hadn’t been accepting his magic…

“Edge,” Papyrus breathed. “My soul it… it’s taking magic from yours.”

“What?” Edge was giving him a puzzled look, although his teeth were still slightly gritted.

“Your soul is… giving magic to mine. And—and it’s—it’s too fast—Edge… Edge you have to take it back.”

“T-take it back? How—”

“I don’t know, Edge! Just—just do something!” Papyrus felt a flicker of panic. But then, Edge started to chuckle, softly. Papyrus frowned. “What—what are you laughing at?”

“Nyeh heh… you.”

Papyrus gave Edge an irritated look.

“Edge, you’re fucking dying, stop laughing!”

This only seemed to amuse Edge further. He suddenly brought a hand up, cupping Papyrus’ face. His other hand went to Papyrus’ soul, gently caressing over it. Papyrus shuddered slightly.

“I’m fine, Papyrus,” Edge said, calmly. “You know I’m not a pathetic one HP monster like you, I can handle losing a bit of magic.”

“I’m not pathetic!” Papyrus snapped, although it was difficult to sound angry with Edge running a finger delicately over his soul, sending small spasms of pleasure through his bones. “And you—hm—you’re in pain. You—ngh—you should… fuck, would you stop doing that!” Edge had begun to stroke Papyrus’ soul more firmly, and Papyrus was finding it difficult to control the involuntary jerks going through him. Edge smirked, but withdrew, holding his hands up innocently.

“I’m alright, honestly Papyrus,” he said. “The pain is basically gone.” Papyrus eyed him dubiously, not entirely convinced; Edge was still grimacing slightly. “It was only unbearable while you were using your magic.”

“Unbearable? Really, Edge? That’s supposed to make me feel better?” Papyrus sighed, frowning. "I don't understand though, why would—why would my soul be taking magic from yours? I thought you were supposed to be..."

"The parasite?" Edge asked, raising his brow bone.

"That-That's not what I was going to say," said Papyrus, his frown deepening. "But... but it doesn't make sense. Why was your soul giving magic to mine? I thought it was supposed to be the other way round?"

Edge shrugged.

"No idea. But the pain started up when you were getting all aggressive with the Machine."

Papyrus grimaced, glancing at it.

"It didn't work," he murmured. He then sighed, shaking his head, and turned back to Edge. "I—I still think you should take some of the magic back." Edge gave Papyrus a dubious look as he lowered his own amber soul, so that it was hovering just above Edge’s chest.

"Keep it, it's fine."

Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

"Just... just take some back, I only have one HP, I don't need that much magic." Edge sighed.

“Papyrus, I don’t need…”

“Please, Edge.”

Edge considered him for a few moments, holding Papyrus’ gaze, his eye sockets slightly narrowed. Eventually he gave another sigh of exasperation.

“Alright, alright,” he grumbled. “But… er, how do I take magic back?” Papyrus frowned slightly, shrugging.

“I don’t know, don’t you just… like, reverse heal me?”

Edge gave him a skeptical look, raising his brow bone.

“Really? Reverse heal you?” His tone was deadpan, sarcastic. Papyrus glared.

“Well, I don’t know! There’s got to be something, just… just try it.”

Edge considered him for a few moments, before rolling his eyes, and shrugging.

“Okay fine, whatever… give me your soul.” Edge gently lifted the glowing organ from the palm of Papyrus’ hand, and a faint tingle went down Papyrus’ spine. Edge sat up, crossing his legs on the floor beside Papyrus, who was still kneeling. Edge then brought his own soul out of his chest, and held them both in the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, but then opened them again, looking sheepish. “Um, okay I’m not really sure what to do now,” he said. Papyrus frowned, giving him a quizzical look. “Oh fuck off, I’m _so_ sorry that I’ve never done ‘reverse healing’ before, asshole,” Edge growled, rolling his eyes. He sighed. “Okay, let me try…” Edge conjured up a few small tendrils of magic from his soul, and they stretched out, coming into contact with Papyrus’. The sensation sent a pleasant, cool feeling through Papyrus’ bones, but other than that, he didn’t feel anything.

“Uh, that meant to do something?” he asked, giving Edge a cynical look. Edge glowered.

“Shut up, twat, I’m not done.”

Edge closed his eyes once again, frowning in concentration. For a few seconds, Papyrus didn’t feel anything. Then, suddenly, there was a faint tugging feeling on his soul. It wasn’t very strong, just a small, distant pull. He watched in fascination as a faint channel of orange began flowing through the pathway Edge’s magic had created between the two souls.

“Huh,” Papyrus said, “looks like you do know how to do ‘reverse healing’. Not so dumb is it?” Papyrus chuckled slightly, observing the gentle flow of golden magic into Edge’s crimson soul. Edge didn’t say anything. His eyes were still closed, his expression focused, teeth gritted. There was something deeper in the look on his face, but Papyrus couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

The flow of magic slowly became more potent, more of Papyrus’ bright amber magic flowing from his soul to Edge’s. The pull on his soul also became a little stronger, the faint tug intensifying, becoming more urgent. A small twinge of pain bloomed within his soul, but it wasn’t unbearable – more just like an irritation.

“Heh, um, just remember to go easy on the ‘pathetic’ one HP monster there, Edge,” said Papyrus, his breathing becoming a little heavy. Edge still didn’t say anything, his eyes closed tightly. There was something strange beneath the look of concentration on his face – something intense. The flow of magic from Papyrus’ soul suddenly became even stronger, the gold almost engulfing Edge’s crimson soul. A sharp jolt of pain shot through Papyrus’ soul, and he gave a small cry. “Uh—Edge, you’re… t-taking too much… I-I think you should—stop—” Papyrus broke off with a gasp, as the uncomfortable pulling suddenly grew into an unbearable pain. “Edge, stop—stop!” He cried, collapsing onto his side. “Please, Edge—ah—you’re hurting me, stop!” Edge’s eyes suddenly flew open, and the flow of magic immediately evaporated. Papyrus’ soul suddenly felt weak, drained. He dropped his skull onto the cool tiles, and hazily saw Edge rushing to lean over him.

“Papyrus? Papyrus, oh my god! I’m so—so sorry! I don’t know—I don’t know what came over me I just—I couldn’t stop, and… hey, hey, stay with me, Papyrus!”

Papyrus’ eye sockets were fluttering closed, his vision going dim.

“Heh, you asshole… don’t you remember… I’m… f-fragile…”

The last thing Papyrus remembered in his subconscious state was the exasperated glare on Edge’s face, and the feeling of being lifted into his arms.

 

****

 

“Yeah, you really are fragile, you idiot,” Edge muttered as he lifted Papyrus from the ground. But even as he said it, he felt a burning guilt. Edge had placed Papyrus’ soul back inside his chest, but his own soul was still clasped in his hand. It felt very warm, pulsing gently between his fingers. He quickly returned it to his own chest, before carrying Papyrus towards the stairs. When he reached them, he paused, and cast a glance back at the Machine. Why hadn’t Papyrus’ magic worked? Why had the Machine rejected it, the way it had done with his own and his brother’s? Edge thought he knew the answer, but he didn’t like it. Shaking off the thought, he turned and climbed up the stairs, Papyrus still unconscious in his arms.

When he reached his bedroom, he lay Papyrus gently on the bed. Edge gazed at him for a moment. Papyrus didn’t look peaceful, the way someone was supposed to look when they were asleep. There was a slightly strained expression on his face, and for a moment, Edge wondered if it was because of the magic he’d taken from him. But a quick glance under Papyrus’ hoodie told him otherwise – his soul seemed okay, its colour not particularly dim or drained. Although, maybe okay wasn’t the best descriptor. It still bore its familiar faint cracks. But no, the expression on Papyrus’ face was something different. It was deeper than physical pain. Edge thought about the glimmer of hope he had seen in Papyrus, the small chance that fixing the Machine might keep his brother safe. The knowledge that some day, the Machine might be repaired, had been the only thing that had been keeping Papyrus going; the only thing driving him to continue.

But after tonight – after what Sans had said, the way he’d acted, and after Papyrus’ failure to get the Machine to accept his magic – Edge wasn’t sure what would keep Papyrus going. He knew despair when he saw it, and Papyrus had very little hope left, if any. Edge didn’t know what to do. He felt a heaviness settling on his soul, a despair of his own. Unable to cope with their distance any longer, Edge slid into the bed beside Papyrus, pressing himself against the other skeleton’s chest. He could hear the soft thumping of Papyrus’ soul, feel its warmth through his hoodie. Edge could feel his own soul pulsing in response. Hesitantly, he reached down into his own chest, bringing his soul up to eye level.

The crimson light emanating from it was a lot brighter than normal, illuminating the darkness around him. But there were also flecks of gold and orange within the glow – remnants of the magic Edge had taken from Papyrus. Edge felt a jolt of guilt run through him at the thought. So much for not wanting to be some parasitic, soul-draining burden. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the piece of his soul inside Papyrus’ gradually syphoned the other’s magic every day – Edge had taken it upon himself to steal even more.

Suddenly, he felt disgusted at himself for doing it, dirty, even. It was so wrong to be able to drain magic from another’s soul in that way. Even though Papyrus had told him to, he didn’t like the idea that something like that was even possible. To be able to draw magic from someone else, so easily. And what was worse – Papyrus’ soul had felt so weak, so vulnerable, completely at the mercy of his own. The thought made him sick.

But at the same time, he couldn’t forget the way syphoning the magic from Papyrus’ soul had felt. The sensation of slowly drawing power from another soul. It had been…

It had been indescribable. The warm flow of strength from Papyrus’ soul into his own. Edge had been healed before, but it didn’t compare to what it had felt like to _take_ the magic for himself. It had been exhilarating – an addictive, overpowering, and consuming feeling. He hadn’t been able to stop – hadn’t _wanted_ to stop.

At least, until he’d heard Papyrus’ pleas. Until he’d realised he’d been hurting him. Edge subconsciously snuggled closer to Papyrus, and dropped his hand, letting his soul float back to his chest. He pulled Papyrus against him, wrapping his arms around the other skeleton. This felt a million times better than any soul-draining magic.

Edge found he couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the excess magic he’d taken from Papyrus, or because of the dark thoughts plaguing his mind. After what felt like a couple of hours, he glanced at his phone, the clock telling him it was roughly two in the morning. He lay back down, staring at the ceiling, Papyrus still pressed against him. Edge glanced at him, and a strange urge to see Papyrus’ soul again came over him. He tentatively reached down, slowly lifting Papyrus’ hoodie, revealing his ribs, through which the faint orange glow of his soul could be seen. Edge gazed at it for a couple of moments.

It was still just as beautiful as he remembered it being the first time he’d healed Papyrus. Even now, with its faint cracks, which trailed over the surface, reminding him of one of the worst nights of his life. Even with its scars, it was still more beautiful than anything Edge had seen.

“Trying to take another hit off my soul?”

Edge jumped, dropping the hoodie and looking up. Papyrus’ eyes were open, and there was a faint smirk on his face.

“N-no!” Edge whispered. “Sorry, I wasn’t—”

“It’s okay, Edgy,” Papyrus crooned, and Edge scowled at the nickname. “If you want more, all you have to do is ask.”

“I—I don’t… no, Papyrus, I won’t take any more of your magic.” Papyrus shrugged.

“I’m not bothered if you do. It’s not like we haven’t exchanged a myriad of bodily fluids and ectoplasm already today.” Edge blushed, glaring. “I mean, first, you went down on me,” Papyrus continued, and Edge’s blush went brighter, his eyes widening. “Then you fucked me. And then, I accidentally stole some of your magic through our… soul bond.” Edge grimaced. “And then you almost drained the life out of me with your… ‘reverse healing’.” Edge frowned at this.

“Don’t… don’t say that.”

Papyrus raised his brow bone.

“What? Reverse healing?”

“N-no. The other thing…”

Papyrus looked confused.

“Err…”

“That—that draining life thing!” Edge hissed. “And—and the whole soul bond, it’s—it’s disgusting!” Papyrus looked taken aback.

“Edge, what on earth…”

“It’s like—like I’m some kind of sick parasite, just feeding off of your magic!” Edge could hear his voice rising, anger and frustration overpowering him. “I—I hate it!”

“Well, I don’t.”

Edge looked at Papyrus in shock.

“W-what?”

“I don’t hate it, Edge,” Papyrus said, simply. “I don’t care if you’re _slowly draining my life-force,_ or whatever bullshit you’ve come up with in your head. I don’t care if I have to transfer some of my magic to you – even if you have to take it. I—I don’t care, okay? I don’t think you’re a—a parasite, or whatever. I… I like it.” Papyrus said the last bit very quietly, looking away. Edge was confused.

“What? You… like it?”

“Yes,” Papyrus said, voice small. He still wasn’t looking at Edge, who frowned.

“Why?” he asked, incredulous.

“It… it doesn’t matter,” Papyrus said, sounding strained.

“But, I don’t understand. Why—”

“Because—because it makes me feel useful, damn it!” Papyrus finally faced Edge, a frantic look in his eyes. Edge stared at him in shock.

“What? Useful? How—”

“Because, Edge, ever since we’ve gotten here, I’ve done nothing but fuck things up.” Edge stared at Papyrus, stunned.

“What? N-no, that’s not—”

“I mean, first of all, I was stupid enough to think that Sans training with Undyne would be no big deal.” Papyrus’ voice was slightly shaky, as if he might break at any moment. “But of course it escalated. _Of course,_ Undyne would want him to gain LOVE. I mean, how could I have been such an idiot? How could I not have seen that coming? I didn’t—I didn’t _think.”_

“Papyrus, you don’t—”

“And then of course, who could forget my brilliant suicide attempt?” Papyrus laughed humourlessly, and Edge cringed slightly. “I mean, sure, ‘poor Papyrus, he has it _so_ tough, his brother wants to be a killer and his boyfriend _is_ a killer.’” Edge’s soul stuttered when Papyrus used the word ‘boyfriend.’ Not the point, Edge, not the point, he chastised himself. “Yeah, seems like a perfect reason _to fucking kill myself.”_ Papyrus said the last few words so harshly, Edge felt himself flinch.

“Papyrus, that wasn’t—you were depressed, you can’t—”

Papyrus laughed again – that dry, empty sound that made Edge’s soul go cold.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot, _I’m depressed.”_ Papyrus rolled his eye-lights, scoffing. “What a fucking excuse, idiot. Abandon your brother and friends because you’re fucking pathetic.”

Edge’s soul ached. He could hear the unstable pitch to Papyrus’ voice, the way he sounded as if he might snap at any minute.

“That’s not true,” Edge said, firmly. “Papyrus, you’re not pathetic, you’re—”

“Well, let’s not forget the biggest fuck-up of them all,” Papyrus went on, cutting Edge off. “Try to kill yourself, and then _fail at it._ I couldn’t even do that right.”

Edge couldn’t speak. His words seemed caught, his soul tight and strained.

“P-Papyrus…” he whispered, almost choking on his words.

“And of course, that led to this whole ‘soul bond’ thing. Well isn’t that just fantastic. Now I’ve fucked up your life too. You can’t stay away from me for ten minutes without—without going into fucking cardiac arrest! Ha, you’re welcome, Edge.” Papyrus’ tone was bitter and sarcastic, lacking any of the normal humour it possessed. “And—oh, I almost forgot the second biggest fuck up of the year. Now I can’t even fix the bloody Machine that’s supposed to get my brother home! Because I tried to off myself, and we got stuck with this—this _piece of your soul in mine_ thing, I can’t even—can’t even s-save my brother.” Papyrus finally seemed to break, choking on his words. “I can’t even s-save—the _one_ person who’s always been there for me… who’s always, k-kept me going.” There were tears falling from Papyrus’ eye sockets now, and he was quivering. “It’s n-no wonder he wishes I was dead.”

“Papyrus…” Edge didn’t know what to say, he wanted nothing more than to pull Papyrus close, hold him, tell him everything was going to be okay. But he knew he couldn’t. Because it wasn’t okay. Papyrus wasn’t okay. Things weren’t okay. Sans… Sans had threatened to kill him – on the very same night Papyrus had discovered that he could no longer repair the _one_ thing that could get them home. And Edge knew, at this moment, that there was no consoling Papyrus. That no matter what he said, it wouldn’t make Papyrus feel better. It wouldn’t fix his problems.

“S-so, forgive me, Edge,” Papyrus sobbed, “if I feel like the only thing I’m g-good for anymore is being a—a fucking host or whatever. At least my s-soul isn’t completely going to waste.” Papyrus fell silent, the only sound his sharp, shuddering breaths.

Edge was at a loss. He knew that Papyrus was feeling overwhelmed, and that this was probably just exhaustion talking, but he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to make it better. Even tomorrow, when Papyrus had gotten some rest, the Machine would still be broken. They would still have this bond – this bond that seemed to be the reason Papyrus couldn’t fix the Machine. And Sans… Sans would still have said those things. Those awful things that had shattered Papyrus’ soul, all but confirmed his worst nightmares. And Edge didn’t know how to make it better. He couldn’t fix it.

So instead, he just pulled Papyrus close, resting a hand on his cheek bone, and looking into his eyes. He leaned their foreheads together, smoothing his thumb over the bones of Papyrus’ face.

“You’re worth more than that to me,” he whispered. “Damn it, Papyrus, you’re worth so much more than that to me. I don’t give a fuck about the soul bond, or that you’re—an idiot, and a stupid—moronic, self-destructive asshole. I don’t care.” Edge closed his eyes, pulling Papyrus against him, feeling the other skeleton's tears trailing onto his shirt. “Because I love you, and none of that matters. I love the way you feel – the way your bones are so smooth.” Edge placed his hand on Papyrus’ cheek bone, tilting his face so that their eyes met. “I love that you smell like honey, and that stupid smirk of yours. And I love the way you always shiver slightly, when I do this…” Edge traced his hand down Papyrus’ cheek bone, and smiled to himself when he felt that familiar tremor run through Papyrus. “And I love that if you tried to cook for yourself you’d probably starve.”

“Shut up,” Papyrus whispered, the tears still streaming down his cheek bones.

“It’s true,” Edge said, still smiling. “I also love doing this.” He closed the distance between them, bringing their mouths together, gently, and running his tongue softly against Papyrus’, breathing in the scent of honey. He heard Papyrus give a small gasp, and his hands clutched onto Edge’s shirt, pulling him closer. After a few moments, they slowly broke away, and Edge could feel the faint stains of Papyrus’ tears still clinging to his own cheek bones. Papyrus’ eyes were closed, his mouth still slightly open, and his hands were placed delicately on Edge’s chest.

“Edge…” he breathed.

“What is it?” Edge asked, placing his hands over Papyrus’.

"Do you love everything about me?" Papyrus asked. Edge frowned, sensing a trap.

"I love... very many things about you," he said, cautiously.

“Edge… do you… do you love my _rib_ iculously _humerus_ puns?”

Edge stared at him.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Aw, come on. They don’t tickle your funny bone in the slightest?”

Edge sighed.

“This is what I get for trying to cheer you up.”

“Hey, don’t be like that. You know I _patella_ lot of good puns.”

Edge took a deep breath, frowning. He brought two hands up to Papyrus' face, and held him firmly, not breaking eye-contact.

“Papyrus, as opposed as I am to your poor humour, I do rather enjoy fucking you - so I’ll just have to con _bone_ the puns for now.”

Papyrus stared at him for a couple of seconds, his eye sockets wide.

“Edge, that is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Edge scowled.

“What about that glorious declaration of love I just made?”

“Yeah, that was okay. But it’s much more flattering to know that I’m _rib_ bing off on you.”

Edge shoved him away.

“You’ve ruined it.”

Papyrus scrambled back, and wrapped his arms around Edge, pressing his head against his chest.

“No. This is perfect.”

Edge couldn’t stop his soul from fluttering, the scowl dropping off his face. He brought an arm around Papyrus, hugging him gently.

“I really do love you, you know,” he whispered, after a few minutes.

“I know,” Papyrus murmured. “You just made a speech about it. It was very romantic.”

“I know, I was there,” Edge said, sarcastically, and he felt the vibrations of Papyrus’ laughter.

“Edge, can I kiss you goodnight?”

Edge rolled his eye-lights.

“Of course you can, idiot.”

Papyrus lifted his head, glaring up at him.

“There’s no need to be rude, asshole.”

“Well you asked a stupid question, moron.”

“Yeah well, _you’re_ stupid, you…”

Edge growled.

“For god’s sake, if I kiss you will you shut up?”

Papyrus smirked.

“No promises.”

Edge rolled his eye-lights, but leaned down anyway, pressing their teeth together. His magic tingled as it intertwined with Papyrus’, and they lay like that, almost motionless, until Edge felt Papyrus slumping against him slightly.

“Papyrus?” he whispered, against the other skeleton’s mouth.

“Hmm…”

Edge could tell that Papyrus was drifting off to sleep, and he squeezed him gently, holding him against his chest.

“Are you okay?”

There were a few moments of silence, and Edge wondered if Papyrus had fallen asleep. Then, he shifted slightly, wrapping his arms around Edge, and snuggling closer.

“For now… ask me ‘gain t’morrow…”

Edge held Papyrus as his breaths became deep, his chest rising and falling.

“I’ll ask you every day,” he whispered to the darkness.


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being patient with the slower updates! (◠﹏◠✿)  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter ................ ¬‿¬

_‘Hmm Red, do that again, it feels really good…’_

_Sans was lying… somewhere. Somewhere soft. There was grass beneath his fingers, which were clutching onto the ground, digging into the dirt. He could smell the fresh air around him, along with the faint scent of mustard… how strange. He could also hear the sound of rushing water, and someone was… whispering. Multiple someones, in fact. Their whispers were inaudible, but it sounded as if they were talking to each other. Sans opened his eyes._

_He was lying on the grass, in the middle of a wide field. Far above him there were stars, twinkling in the darkness. And the water… a small river, running under a bridge nearby. There were flowers dotted everywhere – big and small, a myriad of different colours. A breeze rustled the grass, sending a slight chill through Sans’ bones. This looked like… Waterfall. Only, it was different. The flowers didn’t look like Echo Flowers, yet they seemed to be the source of the soft voices. And far above him was… the sky? Was that what the sky looked like? It was so… black. Apart from the stars, which twinkled like a million small crystals._

_‘You want me to keep going?’_

_Sans’ soul flipped at the sound of a voice. He glanced down, and realised that Red was here, too. But… what was he doing? His crimson ecto-tongue was hanging out of his mouth, a strange, intense look in his eye-lights. And there was a faint trail of… blue, running down his chin. Sans’ gaze fell lower, and he almost squeaked in surprise._

_Just below Red’s face, was Sans’… magic. Sans couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d never formed anything in front of Red before. He felt nervous suddenly, his soul racing in his chest. But his nerves were quickly surpassed by the burning lust he felt when he saw the look on Red’s face. He was running his tongue over his teeth, leaving a trail of red and blue. Sans could only nod._

_‘Hmm, I thought you’d never ask,’ Red purred, before dropping his head once again, his tongue running over Sans’ magic._

_‘Ngh, yes Red!’ Sans panted. ‘Haa… that feels so good… hng…’_

_‘Sans.’_

_‘Gah—Red, please…’_

_‘Sans, wake up.’_

_‘W-what?’_

_‘Sans, can you hear me? Wake up!’_

Sans’ eyes flew open, and he saw Red crouching beside his bed, shaking him. Sans couldn’t see his crimson ecto-tongue anymore, and he didn’t have that look of… desire, on his face anymore. If anything, he looked worried.

“Red…?”

“Sans, are you okay? You were, uh… talking in your sleep.”

“I… what?”

Sans’ eyes suddenly went wide, as he remembered the dream. He quickly glanced down, and saw a very obvious blue glow beneath the sheets. His whole body felt hot, as if he was burning up. He threw the covers off, not caring about his apparent arousal, and sat up, wiping the sweat away from his forehead. Red looked a little sheepish, blushing slightly, and glancing away.

“Red, I…” Sans panted, clutching onto the sheets. His bones had an uncomfortable ache in them, amplified by the burning heat running through his soul.

“Blue, what is it?” Red looked concerned all of a sudden, reaching a hand out and placing it on Sans’. The touch sent a fresh burning through his body, a sense of yearning.

“I don’t… feel good,” Sans breathed, wiping away the sweat on his forehead once again. His entire body was scorching, and desperate, like he needed something. “I feel so… so hot.”

“Blue, what do you…” Red’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Oh fuck, Blue you’re…” Red drew away suddenly, as if he’d been burned. To be honest, Sans wouldn’t have been surprised if the searing heat going through his bones right now _had_ burned Red. “You’re in heat.”

Sans went still, but he found that the lack of movement made him itch with frustration, so he started to fidget again, looking up at Red in bewilderment.

“Huh? How… but… but I’ve never had one before!” Sans began to feel a rising sense of panic in his soul. “Oh, no… no, Red! What do I do? What—” Red suddenly took a hold of both Sans’ hands. Red’s bones felt so cool against his own – almost cold. His body desperately ached for more.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright—I’ve got ya. Um…” Red looked awkward all of a sudden. “Sans, you know what… what you have to do when you’re in heat, don’t ya?” Sans looked up at Red, frantically.

“B-but I’ve never—I’ve never—”

Red nodded, making soothing sounds.

“Shh, I know you haven’t Sans, it’s okay. Um… shit.” Red looked around, suddenly, as if thinking. “Okay, okay, I’ll, uh… I’ll leave you to, um…” Red looked hesitant, not meeting Sans’ eye. Sans felt a flicker of panic rise in his soul.

“N-no! Don’t—don’t leave me!” Sans clutched onto Red’s hand. He was sweating profusely now, not bothering to try and wipe it away anymore.

“S-Sans, I can’t…”

“Please, Red! I don’t—I don’t want to be alone.”

Sans stared at Red, eyes wide. He could feel his untouched magic at his crotch burning, urging him to satisfy it. Red paused for a few moments, looking conflicted.

“Sans, do you… do you want me to…”

“I—I…” Sans felt anxiety twisting in his soul. He’d never had sex before. Not even close. Red was the only person he’d ever kissed, and he’d only masturbated that one time. He didn’t know what to do. Of course he knew what happened to monsters who didn’t… relieve themselves during a heat. He’d heard about the agony of it. Sans felt tears of frustration prickling in his eyes. “I—I don’t know! Red, I’ve never…”

“I-I know, Sans…” Red trailed off, gritting his teeth, his gold tooth glinting in the darkness. “L-look, I don’t think we should… I mean ya don’t seem sure, and I don’t want you to feel pressured to… I think—I think I should just go.” Red stood up, and turned towards the door, but Sans clutched onto his hand, stopping him.

“W-wait!” Sans cried, and Red spun, looking at him, tentatively. “S-stay, please. Just… could you maybe… s-stay over there?” Sans indicated towards the pile of blankets on the floor – the spot where Red had been sleeping. Red’s eyes widened.

“Y-you want me to… to stay?”

Sans nodded, quickly.

“Y-yes! Please?”

“Of—of course,” Red said, looking a little taken aback. He stared at Sans for a couple of seconds, their hands still latched onto each other, before hurrying over to the other side of the room, plopping himself down on the blankets. Sans’ bones were still searing hot, and his soul was pulsing, rapidly. He could feel that his magic had already formed beneath his pants, and was dripping, the cyan glow illuminating the darkness.

“Uh… d-do you mind if I…” Sans indicated towards his shorts, and Red quickly shook his head, then nodded, seeming unsure what gesture to use.

“No, no—I mean, yeah sure, go ahead.” Red was blushing intensely, the cherry glow sending a jolt through Sans’ magic. At this point, it seemed his body would find anything stimulating. He slowly reached down, pushing his shorts until they were resting on his hips, just covering his burning arousal. He looked at Red, whose eyes were wide, the deep crimson eye-lights focusing on Sans’ crotch. He suddenly looked up, as if he’d noticed Sans staring at him.

“Ah, s-sorry! I won’t—I won’t look.” Red made to turn around, but Sans stopped him.

“N-no!” His voice went up a pitch. Red froze, looking confused. “I—I mean… l-look… if you want…” Sans blushed, averting his eyes, and Red’s own sockets widened even further.

“O-oh,” was all he seemed to be able to say. “O-okay.” Red pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. Sans then took a deep breath, drawing his eyes away from Red, and returning his focus to his shorts. He lowered them the remainder of the way, revealing his glowing cyan, ecto-cock. He heard Red draw in a sharp breath, and found himself blushing.

“W-what?” he asked, tone slightly annoyed. “Don’t act like you haven’t seen a—someone’s member before!” Sans glared.

“Ha, it’s not that, it’s just… fuck Blue, you’re… you’re thick.”

Sans found himself blushing even harder, the bright glow visible in the darkness. He wasn’t sure if being called ‘thick’ was supposed to be a good thing, but judging by the way Red had said it, _he_ certainly thought so.

“Uh… um, thanks.” Sans looked away from Red, still blushing. He hesitantly reached his hand down. His cock was already dripping with magic, and Sans guessed it was due to the heat. It certainly hadn’t been this… messy when he’d masturbated. Cyan magic stained his pants, and just from hovering his hand below the head, small droplets of blue had already splashed onto his fingers. His arousal felt hot, even though it was rather cool in the room. His entire body felt as if it was burning up, and his cock was begging him for relief. “Um, do—do you mind if I…” Sans glanced up at Red.

“What? Oh—oh yeah! Of course, yeah, please do.” Red blushed again, looking down. Sans couldn’t help smiling to himself a little. He turned his attention back to his cock, and, very slowly, he ran a single finger over the length.

The feeling was like a rush of warm, running through his bones, urging him to continue. Sans did it again, only this time, he held the base of his cock with his other hand, running his finger over it again.

“Hmmm…” He tried to stop the small hum from escaping him, but he couldn’t control it. He slapped a hand over his mouth, quickly glancing at Red. “S-sorry!” Red shook his head, and Sans suddenly noticed that he had gone very still, his gaze intense.

“Don’t be,” he breathed, not taking his eyes off Sans. “D-don’t stop.” Sans stared at Red for a couple more seconds, before nodding quickly, and turning back to his throbbing magic. He grasped his hand around his cock, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Hngh…” Sans restrained himself from covering his mouth again, blushing at the sounds escaping him. He slowly began to slide his hand up and down, each motion sending a renewed jolt of pleasure through his body, a small form of relief. But it wasn’t enough. His bones still felt like they were on fire, and his body was urging him for more. He picked up the pace, running his thumb over the head of his cock, which was sticky with cyan magic. “Ngh… ha—ah—ha…” Sans started panting, his free hand clutching onto the bed sheets, his hips arching.

“F-fuck, Sans…” Sans turned his head, quickly, his movements slowing slightly. Red was pressed against the wall, one hand balled into a fist, pressed against his mouth, the other… at the waistband of his trousers. Through the black material, Sans could see a deep red glow. The sight sent another rush of heat through Sans’ body, and he suddenly found himself unable to stop from speedily rubbing up and down his shaft. Red’s eyes widened, a look of pure lust on his face. Sans noticed a flicker of red at his teeth, and saw that Red had conjured – intentionally or not – his crimson ecto-tongue.

“Hah, Red—you…” Sans panted heavily, staring at Red, intensely, unable to pull his gaze away.

“Sans… please…”

“Ngh… Red…”

“Sans, can I… can I touch myself?”

Sans halted his movements, gaping at Red.

“You… you want to—”

“Fuck—fuck yes. _Please,_ Sans.”

Sans stared at Red in bewilderment. He didn’t know why, but somehow Red’s desperate begging was really turning him on beyond belief. His cock was completely erect, twitching at Red’s words, and it took every ounce of Sans’ control not to thrust into his hand.

“Huh…” Sans deliberated. He was thoroughly enjoying the strained look on Red’s face, the way he keenly awaited Sans’ command, one hand covering his mouth, as if to stop himself from crying out. Sans could hear his earnest panting, and watched intently as he grinded against the floor, as if seeking out any form of stimulation.

“P-please, Sans… d-don’t—don’t make me wait, I n-need—ah…”

Sans could see the bright crimson glow through the front and back of Red’s shorts, indicating that his magic had begun to form around his backside, just as it had a few hours earlier. The sight sent a throb of arousal to Sans’ cock, but he managed to push it down for the moment, eager to play this out.

“T-take off your pants,” Sans instructed, and Red had removed the quickly tightening shorts within seconds. Sans felt his eyes go wide at the sight before him. Red had formed what appeared to be a body made of magic, the entire area below his waist bright with it. But what awed Sans the most, was Red’s arse, the magic there a little brighter than the rest – even brighter than his cock, which was already hard. “R-Red…”

“F-fuck, Sans… please…” Red was clutching onto the carpet, phalanges digging through the blankets on the floor. Sans almost found it fascinating the way Red wouldn’t do anything without his say so. He gave a small smile.

“Tell me what you want, Red,” Sans purred, slowly stroking his leaking cock, sending a brief wave of relief over his body.

“Hng—Sans—I want… I need… fuck…”

“Uh-uh, language, Red… or you won’t be allowed to continue.”

Red looked up at him, eyes wide.

“N-no! Fu—uh, please… Sans… please let me…”

Every time Red spoke Sans’ name, his soul fluttered slightly. Hearing Red say his name that way – and his real name too – it filled Sans with a sense of possessiveness, a strange yearning to hear Red say his name again.

“Tell me, Red,” Sans whispered.

“P-please, Sans… let me… let me touch myself… hah, Sans… I need…”

Red was grinding his arse into the floor, his hand hovering just over his hard cock. His teeth were gritted, and there were beads of sweat forming on his skull.

“Mweh heh, Red… hah—I suppose you—you may—” Sans struggled to get the remainder of the words out. He could feel that pleasant pressure building in his cock. But he forced it down, slowing his movements. He needed to see Red get there first.

“P-please, Sans… tell me…”

“G-go ahead, Red. Do it for me—t-touch yourself…”

Red didn’t need telling twice. He firmly grasped his already leaking cock, giving himself a firm, long stroke.

“Ah, fuck… th-thank you, Sans…”

Sans preened, quietly, enjoying the blissful look on Red’s face. He found himself mesmerised by Red’s movements, mimicking them with his own cock.

“M-mweh, Red…”

“S-Sans, can I please… I need to feel…”

Sans’ eyes flickered to Red’s other hand, which was pressing against the entrance of his arse, as if he were begging for some other form of stimulation. Sans suddenly realised what Red was asking, and his eyes widened.

“Y-you want me to…”

“Gah—Sans, I want to f-feel your—cock inside me… I n-need…”

Sans gulped, Red’s words sending a renewed wave of burning through him. He watched, captivated by the bright glow of Red’s magic, wondering what it would feel like to…

“R-Red, I need you to—to touch yourself… there.” Sans could hear the huskiness of his own voice, an entirely foreign sound to him. He had never felt like this before, so aroused, so desperate to see someone else enjoy themself in this way.

“S-Sans, I—”

“Ngh, do it, Red!” Sans bit down on his fist, trying to stop himself from coming right there and then, Red’s desperate pleas almost overwhelming him. Red stared at Sans in bewilderment for a few moments, before gritting his teeth, and squeezing his eye sockets shut. He then, very slowly, began to push a single phalange inside his entrance, which was dripping with magic.

“Aah, fuck…” Red moaned.

“R-Red… language…” Sans panted. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to last. On top of seeing Red slowly sliding his finger in and out of his bright, crimson magic, the heat in Sans’ bones was driving him insane, begging him for release.

“S-Sans, I want t-to feel… you—your cock, gah—inside me… I w-want you to—to fuck me…”

“N-no, Red…” Sans breathed. “No… not—not like that. S-say it properly.” Red looked confused for a moment, but then realisation seemed to dawn on him. He tentatively pressed a second digit into his entrance, letting out a low whine as he did so.

“Hnngh—Sans, I n-need you to—to make love to me… I need you to—oh, fu—stars, Sans I-I’m going to…” Red was panting heavily, pumping his fingers slowly in and out of his entrance, his hand moving vigorously on his cock. Sans couldn’t take it anymore, he ran his thumb over the head of his cock, pumping it quickly, his eyes never leaving Red.

“Ah—ngh, R-Red—stars—hah…” Sans moaned as he came, harder than he’d known was possible. Cyan magic spurted from his cock, and a cool relief washed over his bones, which had been searing. He watched as Red stared at him, his crimson tongue hanging out of the corner of his mouth, before he too gave a cry, releasing red magic onto the blankets he was sitting on. Sans could only watch, his breaths coming short and fast, as Red rode out his orgasm, mumbling Sans’ name as he did so.

“S-Sans, hah, oh fuck, Sans… I… ah—god…”

For the next couple of minutes, they both just lay where they were, panting. Red was slumped against the wall, his hands limp at his sides. Sans watched in slight disappointment as Red’s magic began to fade. His own magic remained as bright as ever, and his brief after-glow didn’t last very long, his cock already hardening again. While his soul wasn’t as hot as it had been earlier, he still felt that carnal need for relief, his bones tingling with a faint heat.

“Red, I… I’m still… it’s not going away.”

Red looked up suddenly, eyes going wide. He immediately jumped up, and came to stand beside the bed.

“Ah, shit, yeah… it usually takes a few more, um, orgasms to get rid of a heat… especially your first one. Um…” Red looked over Sans, as if he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Can—can you stay with me, Red? Please?” Sans looked up into Red’s eye-lights, which were slightly hazy, a faint cherry flush on his cheeks. Sans also suddenly noticed that Red still wasn’t wearing any pants, and the faint red glow of his magic was still clinging to his pelvic bone as it faded.

“Yeah… yeah—yes, of course, Sans—of course.” Red turned to make his way back to his spot on the floor, but Sans grasped his hand, stopping him. Red turned around in surprise, looking at where their hands met. Red’s bones felt cool beneath Sans’ phalanges, and he subconsciously felt himself running his fingers over them.

“C-can you… sit on the bed?” Sans asked, his voice small. Red’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You—you want me to stay on the bed?” Red sounded hesitant, but Sans was already feeling the build-up of that uncomfortable heated yearning in his cock, which was almost hard again. He nodded, blushing despite himself. “Okay. Yeah, sure… I will.” Red clambered onto the other side of the bed, situating himself as far away from Sans as possible. Sans felt his soul give an uncomfortable twist at their distance.

“Red?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you… k-kiss me?”

Red looked surprised by the request, his eye sockets widening.

“Kiss you?”

“Mhm.” Sans nodded, blushing. It was so strange that minutes ago, he’d masturbated in front of Red, yet asking to kiss him seemed so much more daunting.

“Y-yes… yeah, of course.” Red shuffled closer to Sans, and the sudden proximity sent a fresh save of heat over Sans’ bones. He felt his cock twitch as Red placed a hand on his jaw, rubbing his thumb over the smooth bones there. Red leaned close, gazing into Sans’ eyes, and Sans could feel Red’s cool breaths against his face. He couldn’t draw his gaze away from Red’s face. Despite his scars, his rough demeanour, and his sharpened teeth, Red seemed like the gentlest monster in the world. Sans practically melted beneath his hand, feeling his cyan ecto-tongue already forming in his mouth. Unable to take the distance any longer, Sans pressed his mouth against Red’s. The taste of him beneath Sans’ tongue was indescribable, and he immediately began to lick against Red’s teeth. It was as if his sense of taste had been heightened by his heat, the strong, delicious musky spice filling his mouth, along with the faint taste of mustard. He could also smell Red, his entire presence filling Sans’ senses. Red sighed against him, bringing his own tongue to meet Sans’, and a rush of heat went through Sans’ bones, his cock now achingly hard.

“R-Red, I need…” Sans felt himself reaching down, grasping his cock in his hand, giving it a long, firm stroke. “Hngh… stars…” Sans breathed against Red’s mouth, and suddenly he felt Red gripping his hand, halting his movements. “N-no, don’t—don’t m-make me stop Red… ngh—I n-need…”

“Shh, it’s okay, Sans.” Red took a deep breath, his tongue pressing against Sans’. He brought his other hand to Sans’ back, pulling him closer against him. Sans felt the tip of his cock rubbing against Red’s pelvic bone, and he gave a soft moan.

“Ngh, Red… please…”

“Sans,” Red whispered, his hand still clasped firmly around Sans’, stopping him from providing himself with any kind of relief. “Do you want me to…?” Sans went still suddenly, realising what Red was saying. He opened his eyes, and found Red looking at him intently, waiting for his instruction.

“I… I want…”

“I can let you do it, Sans. You don’t have to—”

“No! I—I want you to… I want to feel your hands—on m-me.” Sans blushed, casting his eyes down. But Red placed a finger under his chin, lifting his head. He gently kissed Sans, his tongue softly pressing into Sans’ mouth, before he gradually broke away, looking into Sans’ eyes.

“You’re wonderful, Sans,” he murmured, and Sans blushed again. He then drew in a sharp breath, as he felt Red’s hand grasp his cock, firmly, giving him a gentle squeeze. He stared into Red’s eye-lights, his tongue licking at the corner of his own mouth. Red began to slowly stroke up and down his length, and Sans gave a soft moan, leaning his head on Red’s shoulder.

“Haa, Red…” Sans brought a hand to the back of Red’s skull, fingers scraping softly over the rough bone. Red’s pace gradually quickened, and Sans began to pant, bringing his hand to his mouth, biting down on his fist. “Hnngh… ah—Red…”

“Shit, Sans…”

Sans didn’t even bother scolding Red for his language. Unable to stop himself, he began thrusting into Red’s hand, the extra friction sending spasms of pleasure through him. The hand at his mouth was covered in blue magic, dripping through his fingers and onto Red’s shirt. Sans pressed his head against Red’s neck, and ran his tongue over the vertebrae there, earning a shudder from the other skeleton.

“Oh… Christ, Sans…”

Red’s movements sped up, pumping Sans’ cock earnestly, and Sans felt a building pressure in his magic, his soul racing in his chest. He scraped his teeth against Red’s neck, using his hand to pull Red closer to him, to gain more access to the rough bones of his neck.

“Hmm, Red—gah—I-I’m going to—ngh—” Sans broke off with a gasp, coming into Red’s hand, unable to stop himself from biting down on Red’s shoulder as he did so. He could hear Red whispering his name, his hand still gently smoothing over Sans’ length, until all the cyan magic had leaked out, staining Red’s own clothes.

“F-fuck, Sans… that was… fuck.”

“L-language…” Sans panted, head still resting on Red’s shoulder. A cool relief had washed over his bones, more satisfying than the last time, and Red’s proximity radiated against him, the cool aura of his soul seeming to permeate right through Sans. Red chuckled, quietly, and lifted Sans so that they were facing each other, then gently kissed him, their tongues intertwining. Sans savoured the moment, enjoying the taste of Red, before leaning into him once again, feeling utterly spent. “Will you… s-sleep with me?” he asked, yawning.

“You want to go to sleep?” Red asked, sounding surprised. “You’re not still…?” Sans shook his head.

“Mm, a little bit, but… tired.”

Sans could feel his eye sockets drooping, and he rested his head against Red, snuggling into his chest. He felt Red bring his arms around him, holding him close. Sans’ soul gave an excited flip that had nothing to do with arousal. He could already feel himself losing consciousness, his mouth dropping slightly open.

“Goodnight, Sans,” Red whispered, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Sans’ skull.

“Hmm, love you,” Sans mumbled, before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rest in peace daily updates. I miss you :'(  
> But happy chapter 50 everyone! It turned into a bit of a filler chapter because it was getting long :| but I hope you still enjoy it!

“Hey, um, Stretch, can I ask you something?”

Papyrus looked up from the sofa. He was sitting, eating a bowl of cereal. A nice change from honey, Red noted. Oh wait, never mind, there was honey on the cereal.

“’Sup?” Papyrus asked, through a mouthful of oats.

“Uh…” Red wandered over to the couch, and sat down beside Papyrus. He could already feel himself blushing. Oh god, maybe he shouldn’t have initiated this conversation. “Um, you know what, on second thought, it’s uh—it’s fine.” He stood up quickly, and started walking towards the stairs.

“Okay, then, dude. Whatever.” Papyrus turned his attention back to the TV, continuing to eat his cereal. Red stopped, gritting his teeth, and he turned around.

“SanssaidhelovedmelastnightandIdon’tknowwhattodo!” He blurted, all the words mashing together. Papyrus glanced up.

“Huh?”

Red cleared his throat, his blush intensifying.

“Um… Sans said… he loved me. And I… I don’t know what to do.” Red stared at his feet. Papyrus’ eyes widened.

“Uh… oh.” He looked a little awkward, swirling his spoon around in his bowl. “And um… what did you do?”

“Well—nothing! He was half asleep when he said it.” Red lifted his hand to his collar, twisting it around his neck, as he often did when he felt nervous. “I… what am I supposed to say to him?”

“Well, just as long as you don’t ignore him for a week and then try to kill yourself, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” said Papyrus, sardonically. Red glared.

“Helpful.” He sighed. “Whatever, asshole, I knew I shouldn’t have come to you for romantic advice.” Papyrus rolled his eye-lights, and put his bowl down.

“Wait, wait.” He sighed, giving Red a bored look. “Listen, just tell me this – do you love him back?” Red froze, his soul somersaulting in his chest.

“I…” Red thought about it. He certainly loved _being around_ Sans, and he loved the way Sans looked when he blushed, or the way Sans tasted when he kissed him. But, was he _in love_ with Sans? Red had never loved anyone before in his life. Well, except for his brother of course, but this was different. Sans wasn’t like anyone he was used to. Most of his… friends, if they could be called that, were harsh and unforgiving. At the end of the day, he knew they’d have his back, but he could never call what he had with them _love._ But Sans was… kind, and gentle, and he smiled a lot. And when he hugged Red, it always made his soul skip. But Red had never said the dreaded _L_ word to anyone before. In fact, he’d never even been in a proper relationship. Up until now, everything had just been hook-ups, meaningless sex, maybe the occasional make out session. But with Sans, it had started with friendship. Red wasn’t sure how long he’d had feelings for the other skeleton, but their relationship hadn’t been built on sex, the way all of his other flings had. But did Red _love_ Sans?

“I… I don’t know,” he confessed, sighing. “I mean, I really, _really_ like him, but… love just seems like too strong a word right now. I-I don’t know if I’m ready…” To his surprise, Papyrus nodded.

“Okay, well if you don’t love him, then you don’t have to do anything.”

Red stared at him in surprise.

“But—but what if it hurts his feelings? Or what if he—if he stops loving me because… what’s so funny?” Red scowled at Papyrus, who seemed to be suppressing a chuckle.

“Dude. Sans isn’t going to stop loving you over something so trivial.”

“What? Love isn’t trivial! It—it’s a big commitment! You can’t just… just ignore something like that!”

Papyrus shrugged, seeming unfazed.

“Red, pal, I’m serious. When your brother said he loved me, I ran away and locked myself in a room for a week—then tried to kill myself. It can’t get any worse than that. I’ve set the bar pretty low for expectations of how to react when it comes to confessing love in this house. Trust me, you’ll be fine. Don’t say it unless you’re ready.” Papyrus turned back to the TV, and kept eating his cereal. Red stared at him.

“You—ugh! You’re terrible at advice!” He growled, before stomping upstairs, hearing Papyrus’ laughter behind him. Aggravating prick. Red marched to his bedroom, pausing outside the door, before quietly opening it. Sans was still asleep inside, his limbs sprawled out on the bed, mouth hanging slightly open. Red could still smell the heat coming off him. That intoxicating, slightly sweet scent, coaxing out his arousal. No Red, not now, he thought to himself. He quietly made his way over to the pile of blankets against the wall, remembering how he’d felt, pressed up against the wall, while Sans had watched him, touching himself, moaning Sans’ name… Fuck, not a good idea to think about that to stop yourself from feeling horny, Red, he chastised. He gathered up the blankets, which were stained with his magic, and tossed them into the laundry basket in the corner of his room. The air still smelled like magic – mostly Sans’, but there was a faint hint of his own mingled in with it. Red glanced over at Sans lying on the bed, and his mind drifted back to Papyrus’ advice.

Apart from the whole ‘don’t try to commit suicide and you’ll be fine’ thing, it had actually been pretty solid. Red knew he wasn’t ready to say the _L word_ to Sans, but that didn’t mean what they had wasn’t still good. After all, Sans had only mumbled it in his sleep, it was hardly a dramatic confession. And Red still _liked_ Sans – very much, in fact. He liked seeing Sans’ expression when he got all flustered, or the blush on his cheeks, or hearing him laugh.

Suddenly, Red heard a buzzing, and he glanced over at the nightstand. His – or rather, Sans’ – phone was vibrating. He quickly picked it up, to see that it was Edge calling. Why would his brother be calling in the middle of the day? Red answered it, and quietly hurried out of the room, leaving Sans fast asleep on the bed.

 

****

 

Sans blinked his eyes open, hearing the bedroom door closing. He glanced around, and saw that he was still covered in his own sticky blue magic. He sighed, lying back down on his back, staring at the ceiling. He would clean it up later. His bones were still feeling rather warm, although it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been last night. His soul was humming faintly in his chest, quietly imploring him to satisfy the heat in his body. But for now, it was tolerable. Sans glanced over at the spot on the floor, where Red had sat last night. He remembered the way Red had looked, pressed up against the wall, Sans’ name falling from his mouth, his fingers slowly working in and out of his tight entrance… Okay Sans, don’t think about that, he scolded himself. He sat up, propping himself up against the headboard of the bed. A glance out of the window told him it was snowing – and rather heavily at that. A large abundance of snowflakes were hitting the windowpane, and the trees outside were barely visible through the swirling mass of white. Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and Red walked in. There was an unsettled expression on his face, and Sans noticed he was holding his cell phone in his hand.

“Red…?”

Red jumped slightly as Sans spoke, looking up.

“Blue, you’re awake,” he commented, seeming surprised.

“Yes—Red, is something wrong? You look…”

“Blue, my brother just called. He saw Undyne this morning, and she said…”

Sans’ soul clenched uncomfortably. The last time they’d seen Undyne had been the previous night, and he grimaced as he thought of how that encounter had gone.

“Red, is she angry about… my training? Does she want…?”

Red shook his head.

“Oh—no, this is actually something else. Apparently… apparently the King has requested a meeting with you and your brother.”

Sans’ eyes widened in surprise. Well, that certainly wasn’t what he’d expected.

“The King? King…?”

“Asgore,” said Red.

“Asgore…” said Sans, testing the name out. He’d heard of the King in his own universe, but he’d never known his name. Queen Toriel’s husband had disappeared a long time ago.

“He wants to see you two this afternoon,” Red explained.

“This—this afternoon?” Sans felt a little frantic. “W-why?” Red frowned, shrugging.

“He didn’t say. Even Undyne seems bothered by this.” Red approached the bed, and sat down beside Sans, his frown deepening. “The thing is, Blue, the King has been very… distant, recently. He’s been acting very strange, and well – we don’t really trust him.” Sans’ soul hammered in his chest.

“But—but I don’t understand,” he said, frantically. “W-why us? And—and how does he even know we’re here? D-does he meet with people a lot? I don’t…”

Red was shaking his head, his brow bone furrowed.

“No…” he said, concern morphing his features. “No, he doesn’t. In fact, no one has seen him in months. He’s just been… hiding away in his castle.”

“Do—do you think he wants to hurt us?” Sans asked, his voice small.

“I… I don’t know,” said Red, slowly. “I—I mean… I don’t think so. If he did, why would he invite you to his castle first, when he could easily just off you while your guard was down? N-no, I don’t think it’s that, but… this is still very suspicious.” Despite his assurances, Red didn’t look entirely convinced. “I mean… the King has refused to see anyone for—for months. I can’t think why…” Sans felt an uneasiness settling in his soul.

“Red, I… I don’t like this. What if…” Sans’ mind drifted to his brother. What if Papyrus got hurt? This seemed fishy, and Sans didn’t trust that his brother would be safe. “Can’t we just… tell him no?” Red shook his head,

“Nope. Unfortunately, his royal highness gets the final say in everything. There’s no way we can avoid this.” Red looked bitter. “And he’s known for being rather… unforgiving, when it comes to dissonance.” Sans could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of something akin to fear in Red’s eye-lights, but it was gone in a second.

“Red… what do we do?” Sans could feel himself quivering slightly, and Red looked at him, his eyes going wide. He brought his arms around Sans, pulling him into a comforting hug.

“Hey, hey, it’ll be okay,” he reassured. “I promise, Boss and I’ll be there with ya.”

“Will he… let you come with?” Sans asked, looking up. Red shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. And if he doesn’t – fuck ‘em, we’re coming anyway.”

“Language,” Sans tutted, giving Red a small smack on the arm. Red chuckled, and Sans felt the reverberations through his chest. He pulled back slightly, to look Sans in the eye.

“How are you feeling today, by the way?” he asked.

“Better,” Sans said. “But, still a bit… hot.”

Red gave him an earnest look.

“Anything I can help with?” That faint cherry blush had returned to his cheek bones, and Sans noticed that he cast his eyes away for a second. Red’s nervousness caused Sans to blush slightly as well.

“No, it’s okay,” he said, but he smiled slightly. “But, um… thank you for helping last night.” Sans’ blush deepened as he remembered the previous night, and he looked away, as if to hide his face.

“Oh, yeah, um… any time.” Red sounded flustered, but his arms remained around Sans, holding him in a gentle embrace.

“I think I’m going to go… take a shower,” said Sans. Red released him, standing up.

“Oh, yeah, er, me too.”

Sans looked up, eyes widening.

“W-what?”

Red’s eyes went wide, as if he’d only just realised what he’d said.

“Wait—no—no, no, no—that’s not – that’s not what I meant!”

Sans giggled, bringing his hand over his mouth.

“Mweh heh, it’s… it’s okay, I know what you meant. I’ll, um, see you in a little bit.” Sans lifted himself off the bed, walking towards the door.

“I guess I’d better go tell your brother about this… meeting with the King,” said Red, glumly. “He is not going to be happy.” Red’s tone was somber, and Sans felt a slump in his soul.

“No, he isn’t.” They stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment, Sans feeling dim. “Well, um, I’ll see you in a minute, Red.” He forced a smile, and turned to leave.

“Sans?” Red called, just before he was about to go. Sans turned, surprised to hear Red using his real name.

“Yes?”

“Uh, um…” Red looked flustered all of a sudden. “Enjoy your, er, shower.” He looked down, his hands fidgeting. Sans gave him an odd look, but nodded.

“Uh, thanks,” he said, before turning, closing the door behind him. Sans paused outside the door for a moment, wondering what Red had been going to say. But, he shook off the thought, and made his way to the bathroom.

 

****

 

There was a silent tension at the dinner table that afternoon. Edge had come home early to prepare for their meeting with the King – it wasn’t even four o’clock now. Red was watching his brother, the way he sat so close to Papyrus. It was almost the same as it had been the other week, when he’d still been struggling with his soul pain. But this time it was a little different. He looked protective, hovering over Papyrus, as if he might break at any second. As for Papyrus, he looked, well… fine.

He looked fine.

And Red wasn’t sure why, but that bothered him.

Papyrus had taken the news of their visit to see the King surprisingly well. Red had told him about it, preparing himself for a tirade of emotions. But Papyrus had simply shrugged, given him an ‘okay’, and continued watching TV. Red wasn’t sure why, but this response had bothered him a lot more than an outbreak of panic would have. It almost seemed as if Papyrus didn’t care, or like he’d given up.

Red was sitting close to Sans now, able to sense the nervousness about his gentler self. Sans had been anxiously flitting around the house all day, seemingly trying to keep himself busy. Red wanted to stay close to him, comfort him, keep him safe. He knew how worried Sans was about meeting the King – hell, Red was worried too, and he could tell that Edge was extremely bothered by this as well. None of them spoke as they slowly ate dinner, an ominous feeling looming over the dinner table.

Once they’d finished eating, Edge told Sans and Papyrus to go upstairs, while he and Red cleaned up. Once the two Underswap brothers had left the room, Edge turned to Red, a sober expression on his face.

“Red, we need to talk about this… visit to the King.”

Red halted scrubbing a plate immediately, and looked up at his brother.

“What is it, Boss?”

“We need a plan. I don’t want us going into this unprepared.”

Red felt a sense of unease cloud his soul.

“So you do think the King has some ulterior motive, then?”

“Of course I do, brother. And you would be a fool not to feel the same way.” Edge sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “You know how the King has been acting recently. He hasn’t been hospitable in the least. It doesn’t strike you as odd that he’s suddenly invited Blue and Papyrus to his castle? On a ‘visit’.”

“Well, I mean, I guess so. But… but what do ya think he wants with them?”

Edge shook his head.

“I don’t know, Red. But I don’t like this one bit. Which is why I need you to promise me that we won’t leave Blue and Papyrus alone tonight – not for a moment. Is that clear?”

Red frowned, before nodding, solemnly.

“Absolutely, Boss.”

“Good.” Edge paused for a moment, as if thinking. “There’s something else that’s been troubling me too, brother…” Edge drifted off, looking distant.

“Yeah…?”

Edge looked at Red, frowning.

“How does the King even know they’re here? They’ve been staying in our house for the past two months, seldom leaving.”

Red hesitated, considering.

“Well… I mean we have taken them out in public and stuff… people know they’re here, it’s not like their existence is a huge secret anymore.”

“Yes, I know that. But… but no one speaks to the King. He doesn’t see anyone. He doesn’t meet with anyone… who could have told him?”

Red felt taken aback suddenly.

“I… I have no idea.”

Edge looked pensive, his brow bone creased, giving his harsh features a deeper intensity.

“We’ll need to be on our guard, brother. I sense a trap.”

“A trap?” Red asked, startled. “But—but why? What could the King possibly want with Blue and Stretch?”

Edge sighed.

“You remember when Alphys took… a keen interest in Papyrus, do you not?”

Red frowned.

“Yes…”

“She has always been… fond of the King. Perhaps it was not her interest – but his.”

Red’s eye sockets widened with surprise.

“But—but why would the King want Papyrus? Why would he care about some one HP monster?”

Edge shook his head, sighing.

“I don’t know. But we need to stick close to Sans and Papyrus at all times. No matter what happens, we cannot let them out of our sight.”

 

****

 

They arrived at Alphys’ lab about half an hour later. Sans was clutching onto Papyrus’ sleeve, looking frightened. Edge stood at the front of the group, while Red took up the rear, forming a protective watch over the two gentler skeletons. When Alphys let them in, she had her usual nervous demeanour about her, but there was something grave in her expression too.

“Undyne?” Edge asked, as Alphys led them inside.

“Sh-she got called away to the Core,” Alphys explained, leading them through her lab. “There was s-some… trouble with a f-few cor—” Alphys broke off, shooting a glance at Sans and Papyrus. “A-a few monsters.”

Edge frowned, and Red felt a sense of suspicion creeping up in his soul.

“I thought there hadn’t been any… trouble in the Core for a while?” he asked.

“There h-hasn’t,” said Alphys. “B-but apparently, s-some people were j-just attacked—right near the MTT resort.”

“Mettaton…?” Edge asked, his voice sounding a little panicked. Red looked up at him, to see a worried expression on his face. Alphys shook her head.

“W-we don’t know… Undyne got there as s-soon as she could. I—I haven’t heard from her since.”

They reached the elevator that would lead them down to Alphys’ underground lab. Red and Edge exchanged a worried glance as they all stepped inside. As they rode down, everyone was quiet, Edge and Red standing on either side of the other two brothers. Sans was still clutching Papyrus’ sleeve, pressed closely against his brother’s side. When they finally reached the bottom, they followed Alphys towards the series of passages which led to the elevator to the King’s castle. As they walked, they came to one of the cold, dingy rooms, where a series of workbenches were pushed against the walls.

Red suddenly noticed Papyrus tensing, and going still. Sans looked up at his brother, frowning.

“Papy, are you alright?”

“S-Sans…”

Edge was by Papyrus’ side in a moment, examining him intently.

“Papyrus,” he whispered. “What is it?”

“Edge, what… what is this place?”

Red frowned.

“It’s j-just an old lab w-we don’t use anymore,” Alphys explained.

“O-oh.” Papyrus looked at everyone’s stunned faces, and seemed to compose himself. “S-sorry, um, let’s keep moving.” Edge hesitated for a moment, looking at Papyrus, but Red saw Papyrus glancing away. Edge withdrew, frowning slightly, and joined Alphys at the front of the group once again. Red narrowed his eyes as he watched Papyrus, who was looking a lot tenser than he had earlier, and he kept – seemingly without realising he was doing it – gripping onto Sans’ arm or hand, before quickly letting go again.

When they reached the elevator, Alphys paused, turning to observe them.

“W-well, I suppose this is w-where I leave you.”

“I suppose it is,” said Edge, his tone bored. Alphys looked away, and let them pass her as they all entered the elevator.

“Y-you’ll be okay. The K-King is… not s-so bad.”

“Indeed.” Edge was regarding Alphys with a sour expression, and she seemed to cringe slightly under his gaze.

“W-well, good luck, um…” Alphys’ gaze flitted nervously between Sans and Papyrus. “S-see you later.”

With one last anxious glance, Alphys turned and walked away, leaving the four skeletons alone. Edge closed his eye sockets for a moment, before pressing the elevator button, taking them up towards the King’s castle. It was a long journey, rife with tension. Red glanced at Sans, who was looking down, his expression somber. He reached out his hand, and gently brushed Sans’ fingers. Sans looked up, and Red gave him a reassuring smile. Sans returned it with a less enthusiastic one, before looking back down, his arm still clutched around Papyrus’.

When they finally reached the top, they stepped out of the elevator, into the dull grey corridor. The walk to the throne room was quiet, their footsteps echoing through the empty hallways. Red saw Edge reach behind him, and brush his fingertips against Papyrus’. After a few minutes, they stopped walking, and Red looked up to see that they were standing in front of the large, ornate doors leading to the throne room. Edge turned to face them, his expression stiff and guarded.

“Alright,” he said, taking a deep breath. “This is it. Blue, Papyrus – you are not to leave mine or my brother’s sight under _any_ circumstances whatsoever, is that understood?” Both Sans and Papyrus nodded. “Good.” His solemn gaze flickered to Red for a moment, who gave him a stiff – and hopefully reassuring – nod. “Well then, be on your guard.”

Edge turned, reaching up a gloved fist, and knocked on the throne room door.


	51. Chapter 51

There were several moments of charged silence. Edge stood in front of the doors, lowering his hand, and they waited. Papyrus noticed a stiffness in Edge’s posture – one he seldom had. He could only recall seeing Edge this poised when he’d dusted that monster in Snowdin Forest. He had that look about him… like he was prepared for a fight. Papyrus shuddered slightly, and pulled Sans closer to him.

His brother felt unusually warm to the touch, although Papyrus wasn’t sure if it was just because he felt so cold, a darkness seeming to hang over his soul. He thought back to the lab they’d walked through, and a shiver ran down his spine. He’d recognised that lab. At least, he’d recognised parts of it. It struck a few very painful memories for him. Memories from his childhood, when he’d almost still been a babybones. Memories involving…

“What’s taking so long?”

Edge’s irritated voice interrupted his thoughts. Papyrus glanced up to see Edge knocking again, this time a little more forcefully.

“Maybe his royal highness forgot we were coming?” Red offered, sardonically.

“Would that it were, brother, but I highly doubt he’d forget a meeting with the only guests he’s had in months,” said Edge, a hint of bitterness to his tone. He raised his hand to knock a third time, but suddenly, the doors creaked open. Papyrus couldn’t see anything beyond the few golden tiles at the entrance of the room, as it was almost pitch black inside. Edge turned to them, his expression grave, before nodding, indicating for them to follow. “Stay close,” he murmured. Papyrus clutched onto his brother’s hand, feeling Sans clinging to his hoodie, a nervous expression on his round face. Papyrus could hear Red’s footsteps close behind them.

They followed Edge into the room, their footfalls echoing on the tiles. The double doors suddenly closed behind them with a loud creak that seemed to ring through the room – or perhaps hall would be a better word to describe it; the echoes seemed to go on for ages, giving an indication of how large the throne room was. Papyrus suddenly started feeling very confined, in spite of the size of the hall. The air felt close and musty, and the room had a cold, but stifling atmosphere. Papyrus glanced up. Far above he could see faint cracks of light, which shone in small, thin patches on the floor. It looked as if they were windows, which had been covered up by large, dark pieces of cloth.

Suddenly, Papyrus felt something soft crunch under his feet. His soul gave a small, startled jump. But as his eye-lights began to adjust to the faint light, Papyrus saw what they were walking on. As far ahead as he could see – which wasn’t very far, to be fair – were flowers.

They were all dead.

Their petals were brown and dry, their stems wilting. The four of them walked over the seemingly endless field, the dry, withered plants crunching beneath their feet. It struck Papyrus as odd that they were growing – or rather, had been growing – indoors, especially in a place such as the King’s throne room. Papyrus glanced behind him, wondering how far they’d walked, but he could see nothing but pitch black.

Finally, after what felt like minutes of walking, Edge came to a stop in front of them. He bent one knee, crouching on the ground, and Papyrus and Sans did the same.

“Your majesty,” Edge said, his tone formal. Papyrus’ soul did a flip. So they were kneeling before the King. He wondered if Edge could see him, or if he’d simply taken a guess as to where in the room they were. Papyrus couldn’t see much further than ten feet in front of them. “My name is Edge, and I am a member of the Royal Guard,” Edge continued. “And this is my brother, Red, and my companions, Blue and Stretch. We stand before you at your request. What is the purpose of this meeting?”

For a few seconds, there was absolute silence, and Papyrus wondered if perhaps the King wasn’t there after all and Edge had been speaking to the darkness. But then, a deep, booming voice spoke. It seemed to echo through the halls, sending a chill down Papyrus’ spine. He felt himself clutch onto Sans’ hand, and realised that his brother was shaking.

“Rise.”

Papyrus would never forget that single word. It chilled him right to his bones, reverberating through his soul. But what truly struck Papyrus, was how familiar it sounded. It was as if he’d heard it before, but only in a dream – and this was the nightmare. As the four of them stood, Papyrus felt himself leaning closer to Sans, as if the heat radiating from his bones might warm his soul.

“I have summoned you here for my own reasons. As I am your King, and you, my subject, I shall be the one asking the questions.”

“Apologies, Your Grace,” said Edge, his voice still formal, but wavering slightly. Papyrus shivered. He had never heard Edge sound afraid.

“Hmm, well I do believe I owe my guests of honour a proper greeting. Welcome Stretch, and… little Blue. Step forward, if you will.” Papyrus didn’t like the way the King said his brother’s name. He pulled Sans against him, feeling the smaller skeleton trembling, before moving forward, so that he and Sans were standing in front of Edge. “I am King Asgore, ruler of the Underground.” Papyrus clutched onto Sans’ hand before answering.

“Greetings, y-your majesty,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “We are… honoured by your invitation.”

“Hm, as you should be,” said King Asgore, his voice low.

“Your-your Grace, if… if it pleases you, may I ask… what your interest is in m-my brother and I?” Papyrus couldn’t seem to manage to stop his voice from shaking, and he felt Sans give his hand a gentle squeeze, relaxing him slightly.

“I must remind you that _I_ will be the one asking the questions,” the King stated, his deep voice authoritative, and Papyrus quickly nodded, although he realised he wasn’t quite sure if Asgore could actually see him. “Still, since we are on the topic, I must admit that I am rather… curious about you and your brother. You are both very, hmm… odd.”

“Odd, Your Grace?”

The King gave a deep chuckle – a cold, empty sound, devoid of any real humour.

“Well, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what monsters are like. They are brutal, savage creatures, incapable of compassion or mercy. Their souls are twisted and cruel, and gaining LOVE is second nature to them. It is the world we live in. Yet, you two do not have a single Level of Violence. Nor, in fact, any Experience Points. Very strange.”

There was a distant sound in the King’s voice, but as Papyrus couldn’t see his face, he couldn’t tell what the monster might be thinking.

“Your Grace,” Edge began, “I can assure you, both Stretch and Blue are—”

“I would have asked for your opinion if I had required it,” the King interrupted, his tone bored. “You will not speak unless spoken to, am I understood?”

Papyrus felt Edge go stiff behind him, the tension seeming to come off him in waves. Papyrus had never heard anyone speak to Edge this way – not even Undyne. He wondered if anyone had spoken to Edge like this in his entire life. Probably not. The thought that there was someone who could so easily frighten Edge into submission sent a shuddering chill through Papyrus’ body.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Edge’s voice was tight.

“Hm, excellent. Now… Blue.”

Papyrus felt Sans go tense by his side, his grip tightening around Papyrus’ hand.

“Y-yes, Y-your Grace?” Sans’ voice was very small.

“Tell me—why have _you_ never gained LOVE?”

Papyrus froze, and he felt Sans go still at his side. Behind him, he thought he heard Red wince.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Grace? I—I’m afraid I d-don’t understand.”

“Hm, well, a lack of LOVE indicates a lack of kills. Why have you never killed?”

“I… I d-don’t…”

Papyrus could feel Sans quivering at his side, and could hear the faint shakiness in his voice that he normally got before he started crying.

“He—he’s never had to,” Papyrus interjected, feeling angry. “He’s never needed—”

“Have you forgotten my rule about not speaking unless spoken to, Stretch?” The King sounded mildly irritated, as if Papyrus were only some minor inconvenience to him.

“N-no, I—I’m sorry, I—”

“Then let your brother speak for himself,” King Asgore instructed. “Now, Blue, tell me—what do you do when attacked? How do you defend yourself?”

“W-well, I… I’m not often… a-attacked,” Sans said, softly. “B-but if I w-was I would probably just… just try to—to talk to whoever w-was attacking me… and maybe just… b-be nice and… and…”

Papyrus’ soul lurched uncomfortably. He knew very well what Sans did when attacked – and it seldom ended well. The human had proved that multiple times. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the King laughed. The disembodied sound was loud, and bellowing, booming off the walls of the hall. Papyrus flinched, and he heard Sans give a small gasp by his side, jumping slightly. Papyrus stared into the darkness, wishing he could at least see the frightful monster before them.

“Well, a rather blissful outlook, I must say,” King Asgore said. “Though perhaps a tad naïve. Monsters cannot be reasoned with. How unfortunate, indeed, that you would perish the moment you were attacked—as would anyone you were trying to protect.” Papyrus felt Sans flinch by his side, and he squeezed his hand gently, trying to reassure him. To his surprise, Sans didn’t return the action, his hand going limp within Papyrus’. “Well then, I suppose there is no point in further pursuing that matter,” the King continued. “But… I do have one other topic of interest.” Asgore paused, whether he was thinking, or whether it was for dramatic tension, Papyrus couldn’t tell. Then, there was a heavy creaking, and Papyrus realised the King must have been sitting down, because a moment later, he heard rumbling footsteps approaching. Suddenly, as if it had materialised out of thin air, a dark, looming shadow appeared before him. Papyrus couldn’t see his face, but he knew that this was the King, and he suddenly wished the gargantuan monster was back on his throne, out of sight.

King Asgore towered over him, Papyrus barely reaching his shoulder. From what Papyrus could make out, he wore a long, billowing cloak, and he appeared to have horns, which were razor-sharp. Not only was he tall, but the King was large, strongly-built, and overbearing. His entire body was shrouded in shadow, but it took little intuition to discern that his physical appearance must be just as paramount in exhuming terror as his simple presence was. His face was shrouded in darkness, but through the shadows, Papyrus could discern two deep red glows, presumably emanating from the King’s eyes. He felt as if he were under laser-like scrutiny, his entire body and soul shrinking before the colossal giant before him.

Suddenly, Papyrus felt a strong, rough hand grasp him by the jaw, and he gave a surprised yelp. Beside him, he felt Sans tense, grasping firmly onto his arm, and behind him he heard Edge rushing forward.

“What are you doing?” Edge snarled. “Don’t—” But he was stopped in his tracks, the King holding out his free hand, and holding him back.

“Do not approach,” the King instructed, his deep voice even more frightening up this close. “I am merely observing him.”

Papyrus felt frozen with terror. He was too startled to move, afraid the King would crush him under his steel grip.

_“You can observe him from a distance,”_ Edge hissed, trying to push past the King’s arm. Suddenly, there was a small flash of red, and Edge stumbled backwards. Papyrus saw Red catch a hold of him. Grasped in the King’s hand, was a long, crimson trident, each tip sharpened to a harsh point. Papyrus’ eye sockets widened, and he suddenly felt very small, still caught in the King’s grasp.

“I suggest you not threaten me, foolish child.” King Asgore’s voice was low and threatening, but it still had that hint of boredom to it. Papyrus wondered how Edge felt about being called a child. “I am not going to harm your companion—unless you give me a reason to.” Papyrus shuddered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Edge seething, but Red was holding him, apparently trying to calm him down. Papyrus didn’t think it was working, but Edge had stopped trying to rush at the King for now, at least. “Now…” Asgore turned back to Papyrus, who flinched under his gaze, even though he couldn’t see his face. “You are a very curious monster, aren’t you?” Papyrus cringed as he felt the uncomfortable sensation of the King doing a ‘check’ of him. “Hm, yes, very curious indeed. A one HP monster. I have never seen your like before in my life. Tell me… Stretch, why are you this way? What has caused your HP to drop so low?”

“N-nothing, Your Grace,” Papyrus said, quivering under Asgore’s grip. “I’ve always b-been like this.”

“Well, that certainly is interesting.” The King adjusted his grip, tilting Papyrus’ face as if to examine him. “And not a scratch on you. Fascinating, how you have lived so long. Very… fascinating.” Asgore ran a single clawed finger over Papyrus’ jaw, before withdrawing. Papyrus breathed an internal sigh of relief, but could still feel himself quaking before the King. “It is truly extraordinary how such a… fragile creature is able to last in a place where brutality and survival go hand in hand.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” said Papyrus, a little irritably.

“So they can,” the King acknowledged. “Yet stats do not lie. Tell me, Stretch, why have you never attempted to increase them? To gain LOVE?”

Papyrus froze, a chill sweeping over his bones.

“I… I haven’t…”

“You haven’t killed?” The King asked, but he sounded dubious, even in the darkness. “Hmm, so it would seem. But I doubt your naivety prevails that of your brother’s.” Beside him, Papyrus felt Sans flinch. “I suppose, being so weak, it is difficult for you to kill, however.” The King chuckled, the sound cold and empty. “It is a shame that your brother has not stepped up to take on the responsibility.” Sans’ hand tightened around Papyrus’, and Papyrus felt a flare of anger.

“N-no, that’s not true! I just—I c-can’t…”

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t gain LOVE!” Papyrus blurted, his voice suddenly growing loud. Behind him, he heard Edge and Red gasp. Sans, however, gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. His brother had long known about this condition. He did not, however, know the cause of it.

“You continue to fascinate me.” Unlike Edge and Red, the King sounded unfazed by Papyrus’ confession – if anything, he sounded intrigued. “And I suppose, since I know so much about you, it is only fair that I return the favour.”

“W-what?”

“Take a step closer.”

Papyrus froze, rooted to the spot. His soul was constricting in his chest. The last thing he wanted right now was to move closer to the monster in front of him.

“Why does he have to do that?” Edge’s voice came from behind him, low and laced with suspicion. The King turned to face Edge, and although Papyrus couldn’t see his face, the red glow of his eyes seemed to flicker.

“As a Boss monster, I have a slight advantage over others when it comes to combat. You see…” Asgore took a step closer to Papyrus “… my stats cannot be ‘checked’ until…” Asgore took another step, so that he was looming over Papyrus, and the skeleton could almost feel the power radiating off him “… it’s too late.”

Papyrus winced as the King reached out, and behind him he heard Edge give a low growl, and saw him summon a sharpened crimson bone attack. But then, to his surprise, the King took a hold of Papyrus’ hand, and placed it on his chest, which felt as if it was plated with armour. A cold chill seemed to hit Papyrus, permeating right through to his soul, and without warning, a set of stats appeared before him.

**King ….**

**LV: 20**

**HP: 10 000**

**ATK: 1000**

**DEF: 1000**

**… … darkness… … … run.**

Papyrus pulled back, sharply, as if he’d been burned. Only, it was quite the opposite. His hand was still cold, and his soul still felt as if it were submerged in icy water. Those stats had seemed… off. As if they’d been tampered with. While the stats themselves were intimidating, the words, and… the King’s name. Why hadn’t it appeared properly? And what had that last line meant? The King must have mistook Papyrus’ dubiety for fear, because Papyrus heard him give a low chuckle.

“You are right to be afraid,” he said, sounding amused. “As is your brother.” The King turned to face Sans, who Papyrus realised was trembling. “In fact, it’s probably the smartest thing you have done since arriving here, Sans and Papyrus.”

Edge and Red had placed themselves in front of Papyrus and Sans before Papyrus could even register what the King had said.

_“What did you just call them?”_ Edge snarled. Both he and Red were wielding sharp crimson bone attacks, their stances defensive and alert. The King didn’t seem fazed though, standing completely immobile. In fact, he laughed again, a deep, mirthless sound, echoing of the walls.

“And bringing your friends here was your second smartest move – not that they’ll be of much use to you.”

Papyrus felt cold. His entire body may well have been encased in ice, and Sans’ warm arms, which were now wrapped around him as Sans clung onto him, did little to quell the chill in his soul.

“H-how do you…” Papyrus’ words seemed to get stuck in his throat. “How do y-you know…”

“Oh, I have known who you are for quite some time,” the King said, coolly. “I am well aware of the fact that you are not from this world. But I am growing tired of this game. I have you where I want you, and now…” Asgore steeled himself, resummoning his large, sharp trident of red magic. “Well, I’m afraid I cannot allow you to leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ  
> You're welcome, friends.


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Doesn't want to leave the summary blank for this chapter but also doesn't want to spoil anything*  
> ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ  
> There we go.

Papyrus couldn’t move. Distantly, he thought he could hear someone shouting, but all his attention was focused on the colossal beast standing before him. In the deep red illumination of his magic, Papyrus could see Asgore at last. Or at least – whatever kind of creature this was. Because surely this horrific thing couldn’t be a monster.

Papyrus still couldn’t see his face, as it was shrouded in shadow. Only the dark red glow of his eyes, shining through the helmet which covered his head. His hair was long, black, and matted, falling down his shoulders. He was thickly muscled, although most of his body was covered in black and gold armour. But what struck Papyrus the most was his soul.

He could see it now, shining through his chest. But it wasn’t red, as Papyrus had expected. Or even yellow, purple, green. No, it was unlike any monster soul Papyrus had ever seen, yet it seemed all too familiar.

It was black.

Papyrus could only stare at it, feeling nauseous as he watched the dark magic pulsing from it, enveloping the King in shadows darker than the already lightless room. Papyrus barely noticed when Asgore was knocked back by a wave of magic – and he barely noticed that it was blue. Something was tugging on the back of his mind. A cold, disturbing memory. Wait, no—it was Sans.

“Papy! Papy, we have to go!”

Papyrus turned, breaking out of his trance, and stared at his brother. Sans was pulling at his sleeve, and there were fading wisps of magic still at his fingertips.

“Sans…”

“Papyrus, go!” Edge yelled, and Papyrus turned in time to see him hurling a strong, brutal spear of crimson magic in the King’s direction. “Take Sans – get to the castle elevator, we’ll hold him off!” Red brought up a defensive wall of bones between the four of them and the King, but Papyrus could already see cracks forming in it, inky black and red magic seeping through.

“But, Edge—”

_“Now,_ Papyrus!”

Papyrus felt a desperate tug on his hand, and he looked down at Sans, whose face was stricken with panic.

“Papy, please!”

Papyrus wasn’t sure if it was his brother’s voice, or the complete and utter terror he could feel within him, but suddenly, he was running. Sans’ hand was clasped firmly in his as they stumbled through the darkness, feet crunching against the withered flowers below them, nothing to guide them but the brief flashes of red magic behind them. Papyrus didn’t look back to see whether Edge and Red were following them. Right now, his only focus was Sans. His little brother. He had to protect his baby brother. Something about the King’s soul… it was too familiar, too…

“Papy, wait!”

Papyrus suddenly realised that they were standing on the tiles in front of the throne room doors, which were still firmly shut. Papyrus briefly glanced behind them to see Edge and Red quickly approaching, still facing the King, who was sending a flurry of attacks in their direction. He looked casual though, almost as if he wasn’t really trying. Papyrus jumped at the sound of a loud blast, and he turned to see Sans sending a wave of bright blue magic at the door, smashing right through it. He then turned, and Papyrus watched, almost mesmerised, as he threw up a thick wall of blue bones between Edge and Red, and the King. The two rougher skeletons caught up with them, panting slightly. Edge immediately rushed to Papyrus’ side, grasping his arms and glancing over him.

“Papyrus, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine…” Papyrus looked over at Sans, distracted. He’d never seen his brother’s magic look so powerful. Even now, the blue sparks were still dissipating at his fingertips. And earlier, when he’d thrown the King backwards…

“Uh, kinda think we should keep moving, guys,” Red urged, his attention on the solid wall Sans had created. From the other side, Papyrus could hear a smashing sound, and large cracks had begun to appear in the barricade. Without hesitation, he gripped onto Sans’ hand, and they fled through the door, Edge and Red just ahead of them. They had just left the dark throne room when the wall of bones shattered, sending splinters flying in all directions. The force of the blast knocked Sans and Papyrus, who were still in front of the doorway, against the wall of the outside corridor. Papyrus stumbled slightly, and beside him Sans tumbled to the floor. He looked up in time to see the King standing in the doorway. Even as Edge and Red came to stand in front of them, stances defensive, Papyrus felt frozen with terror, unconsciously pulling Sans to his feet, bracing for a storm of vicious magic.

But, to his surprise, King Asgore didn’t take a step further, remaining in the shadows, his face still hidden in darkness.

“Well, it seems this is where my pursuit ends,” he said. Papyrus stared in bewilderment, almost unaware of Edge’s sudden grip on his hand. This had to be some kind of trick. There was no way Asgore was letting them go.

“Papy, come on, we have to move!” Sans cried, pulling on Papyrus’ hand. Papyrus looked at Sans, coming to his senses. He allowed his brother to guide him down the corridor, Edge close behind. They dashed through the grey hall, away from the throne room.

“Fortunately, I have friends on my side too.” The King’s voice echoed off the walls after them. “We will meet again soon, Sans and Papyrus.” Papyrus did his best to suppress the shudder that threatened to run down his spine, but didn’t hesitate to ponder on the King’s words, not eager to find out what they meant. Red was just ahead of them, and Edge waited for Sans and Papyrus to catch up to him, before summoning a large barricade of crimson bones, blocking off the hallway down which they’d just come. He was then sprinting once again, and Papyrus felt his fingers clasping around his own, urging him forward.

“We just need to get to the elevator,” Red huffed as they jogged down the empty corridor. “Then I can get us out of here.”

They continued to rush through the seemingly endless passages, but Papyrus was beginning to feel very out of breath. His stamina waning. He was certain the corridors had not been this long on the way here. Behind him, he could hear Sans running at a steady pace, hardly seeming out of breath. Their hands were still clasped firmly together. Suddenly, Sans came to a stop, and Papyrus almost stumbled, letting go of Edge’s hand.

“Sans, what—”

“Wait, stop!” Sans called, and Edge and Red came to a halt as well, looking back at them in confusion.

“Blue,” said Edge, frowning, “we can’t stop. We have to—”

“No, listen! What’s that noise?”

Papyrus frowned down at Sans, confused.

“Bro, what is—”

“Shh! Listen!”

They all fell silent, straining to hear what Sans was talking about. At first, Papyrus couldn’t make anything out, and briefly wondered if Sans was imagining it. But then…

“Is that… footsteps?” he asked, quietly. Distantly, he thought he could hear the sound of pattering feet. Only, it seemed to be coming from up ahead, not behind. Suddenly, Sans gave a small squeak, his grip on Papyrus’ hand tightening.

_“What’s that up ahead?”_ he hissed, his voice low. Edge and Red, who had been staring at Sans in bewilderment, turned, frowning. At the end of the corridor, Papyrus could see something moving. A figure. Only… it was running towards them. Then suddenly, another figure emerged, then another, until several shadowed monsters had appeared at the end of the corridor – and they were all running straight at the four of them.

“Guess we know who the King was talking about when he mentioned his ‘friends’,” said Papyrus, dryly. He noticed Edge and Red exchange a look, before turning to face the two gentler skeletons.

“We need to get out of here,” Edge said, his tone low. Papyrus frowned.

“Edge, can’t you and Red just—”

_“Now,”_ Edge hissed, and Papyrus flinched slightly.

“Come on,” said Red, rushing past Sans and Papyrus, back up the way they’d come. “I know a short-cut.” Papyrus frowned, before following, his hand still clutched around Sans’. He was certain this wasn’t one of Red’s conventional short-cuts, otherwise they would have been out of here long ago. They sprinted back up the corridor, the sounds of approaching footfalls growing closer and closer behind them. Papyrus dared a glance back, and saw a small stampede of monsters approaching, hissing and snarling.

Only, something was definitely off about them. They looked… wrong. They wore savage expressions, like a group of feral beasts, and even as they ran, they seemed to be pushing past each other, trying to claw their way forward. But what struck Papyrus the most was their souls. Even from this distance he could see them. Strange, empty, and shadowed. A darkness seemed to be emitting from them – much like that which had emanated from the King, only much less potent. And these creatures weren’t as poised as the King had been. No, they were ferocious, wild, untamed. Even at the distance they were, magic sparked from their fingers, claws, fins, wings. It was almost as if they couldn’t control it.

Papyrus’ soul gave a sickening lurch, but before he could react, his attention was pulled back to what was in front of him, as he felt the group come to a stop. They were standing in front of a small door in the corridor, which Papyrus must have missed on their way up.

“Haven’t been this way in ages,” Red muttered to himself, as he sent a small spark of magic through the lock of the door. There was a soft click, and he pulled it open by the handle. “Should take us straight through to the elevator. They all hurried inside, just on time to see the horde of feral monsters come storming around the corner. Red slammed the door behind them, and pulled up a barricade of bones over it. Edge and Blue reinforced it, and Papyrus was about to make his own contribution when he felt Edge grasp his wrist, giving Papyrus a wry smile.

“You remember what happens when you use magic, right?”

Papyrus lowered his hand, scowling.

“Right.”

In the intense sequence of events, he’d almost forgotten that the extremely-annoying-and-inconvenient soul bond was still a thing. Shaking it off, he followed Red down the dark passage they were standing in, taking a hold of Sans’ hand once again. It was very quiet in here, and Papyrus couldn’t see much, apart from a dim light ahead of them. There was a musty smell in the air, and Papyrus figured this corridor was seldom used. After a few moments of walking in silence, Sans suddenly spoke up.

“Edge, Red…” Red turned, and behind them, Papyrus saw Edge slow his pace.

“What is it, bud?” Red asked.

“What was wrong with those monsters?”

Both Red and Edge stopped walking, and they exchanged a look, expressions grim. Red glanced back at Sans, a guarded look on his face.

“What do you mean, pal?”

Sans frowned.

“You know what I mean, Red,” Sans said, quietly, and Red grimaced.

“Look, Blue…”

“We should keep moving,” said Edge, abruptly. Sans looked at him, seeming slightly annoyed, but nodded. They continued to walk down the dark corridor, but Sans’ question was plaguing at Papyrus’ mind as well.

“Edge, what was wrong with their souls?” he asked, suddenly, and Edge froze, eye sockets wide, a riled expression on his face. He met Papyrus’ eye-lights, and Papyrus held his gaze. Something seemed to flicker within the crimson lights, but then Edge looked away.

“We don’t have time for this now, I’ll explain later.”

Papyrus scowled, but let it drop. He would certainly be bringing this up later. A painful dread was clenching his soul – a feeling he’d been familiar with since they’d arrived here. They continued to traipse through the darkness, until finally, they came to a door, much like the one through which they’d entered. Red tried the handle, then tutted as he found it locked.

“Honestly,” he grumbled, crouching down to channel a small stream of magic into the lock. “I don’t know why they even bother locking doors down here. Every babybones in the Underground knows how to pick a damn lock with their magic.” After a few seconds, the lock clicked.

“I think that’s just you, Red,” Papyrus commented, and Red rolled his eye-lights, opening the door.

“Okay, so just through this storage room and then…” Red trailed off as he stepped into the room, freezing in his tracks.

“What is it, brother?” Edge asked, glancing over Red’s shoulder.

“Boss, we need to go back,” Red murmured, his voice quiet. “We can’t go this way.”

“Why not?” Edge asked, trying to push past Red, but the gold-toothed skeleton wouldn’t move.

“Boss, be quiet. I said we can’t go this way.”

Papyrus frowned. Why was Red whispering?

“Red, what is it?” Sans asked, fidgeting nervously with his bandana. Red seemed to be trying to usher them back down the corridor, away from the room.

“It—it doesn’t matter,” he hissed, voice still low. “We need to go back, we need to—” Red broke off at the sound of a howl from the end of the corridor. It seemed their barricade had finally broken. “Damn it,” Red swore.

“Come on, brother, we don’t have time to waste,” Edge growled, pushing past Red.

“Boss, wait—”

But Edge had already ushered the others in, and closed the door behind them, setting up a similar barricade as he had at the other end of the corridor. As soon as Papyrus turned away from the door, he knew why Red hadn’t wanted them to come in here. The room was large, the ceiling high, and it almost looked like a small warehouse.

But for the cages lining the walls.

And in the cages, were monsters. Feral monsters. Exactly like the ones on the other side of the door. Only these ones were all asleep. There must have been about fifty of them, all locked up in small cages, which were stacked tightly next to and on top of each other. Papyrus couldn’t see their souls now, as they were sleeping. But he could feel them. He could feel the cold, dark chill the presence of these creatures sent through his soul, almost as if the darkness shrouding them was piercing through him. It was a terrible feeling; it seemed to make his soul shrink, to drain him of hope, leaving nothing but an empty darkness.

But worst of all, Papyrus recognised this feeling. He’d felt it before. Before they’d arrived in this world. Before, when he’d felt the cold steel of a knife, slashing across his ribs. Before one of the worst nightmares of his life had begun. And right now, Papyrus wanted nothing more than to scream.

“P-Papy, are you alright?”

Sans’ voice broke Papyrus out of the dark cloud of his mind, and he glanced down at his brother, eye sockets wide. He suddenly realised that he was shaking, and that his grip on Sans’ hand had tightened considerably. He gritted his teeth, doing his best to compose himself, to breathe. But he still felt as if something were crushing the air out of him, constricting against his soul, consuming him. A darkness so deep, that it sucked all light out of his soul.

“Come on,” Red whispered, suddenly, and Papyrus looked up, feeling slightly queasy. “We have to get out of this room.” Red’s voice was very quiet, almost to the point that Papyrus couldn’t hear him. Although he wasn’t sure if that was just because of the ringing sound in his head. Steeling himself, he gripped onto Sans’ hand, and slowly followed Red and Edge through the room. They walked at an agonisingly slow pace, trying their best not to make a sound. Papyrus cringed as he heard the distant echoes of the conscious feral monsters through the door. They were getting closer.

The end of the room wasn’t too far ahead, only about twenty or thirty feet away. But it felt like miles. The door at the other side of the room seemed so distant, and every step they took seemed to reverberate through Papyrus’ ears like thunder. His bones seemed to crack a lot louder than usual as he walked, and beside him, Sans’ breathing sounded like a strong gale. Papyrus wasn’t sure how sturdy these cages were, but he wasn’t eager to find out whether or not they were magic proof. He didn’t much fancy being blasted from every angle by a large group of feral monsters. His soul still felt as if it were wrapped in a cold blanket of ice, yet it seemed to be pounding so loudly in his chest.

It was no small relief when they finally reached the door, Red crouching to channel his ‘lock-picking’ magic into the keyhole. When the door clicked open, the sound seemed to echo through the room, and Papyrus winced, glancing at the sleeping monsters. But they didn’t stir. Exhaling, he followed the others out of the room, barely paying heed to the single cage that was already open.

They’d entered a dull grey corridor once again, and ahead, Papyrus could see the elevator through which they’d arrived. His soul skipped a beat. They were so close.

But, as fate would have it, they weren’t close enough.

Papyrus gasped as a painful force suddenly knocked him to the ground. He turned in time to see a black furred monster with pointed ears and dripping, yellow fangs, hovering just above him. It had a twisted grin on its face, and Papyrus could feel the cold darkness emanating from its soul without even looking at its chest.

“That’s a neat trick you had there with the magical lock picking,” the monster tittered, hopping from foot to foot, as if it had an overabundance of energy. “I thought I might try it for myself!”

A bright flash of red magic suddenly whizzed above Papyrus, the monster barely managing to dart out of the way. But the brief distraction gave Papyrus time to scramble to his feet, and he felt Sans grasp onto his hand, pulling him down the corridor after Red. Edge was standing a few feet away, waiting for Papyrus and Sans to catch up, but his gaze was fixed on the monster behind them. Papyrus watched as he sent a flurry of sharpened bones hurtling at the monster, before turning, gripping onto Papyrus’ hand, and sprinting down the corridor after Red, who had almost reached the elevator.

“Come on, hurry!” Red called, as he pulled open the elevator doors, his hand outstretched, waiting for the others to catch up. Papyrus glanced behind him, and to his dismay he saw that Edge’s attacks had done little to hinder the monster, which was still bounding lithely after them, and gaining quickly. Papyrus could feel Edge urging him and his brother to move faster, but Sans couldn’t seem to keep up with the pace of the two taller skeletons. He stumbled slightly, and they had to pause for a moment as Papyrus pulled him to his feet. When they finally reached the elevator, Edge grasped onto Red’s hand.

“Red, go!” he called as he rushed into the elevator, Sans and Papyrus right behind him.

But suddenly, Sans gave a cry, and Papyrus stopped in his tracks, whirling to face his brother. He felt his hand slip out of Edge’s, but he hardly noticed, only giving thought to his brother, who had stumbled to the ground, the monster on top of him. Summoning all his strength, Papyrus sent a blast of golden magic at the monster, knocking it off Sans. He rushed forward, and pulled his brother to his feet.

“Sans, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m fine,” Sans said, dusting himself off. He looked up, and his eyes suddenly went wide. “Papy—where are Edge and Red?” Papyrus spun around, and felt his soul drop.

The elevator was empty. Edge and Red were gone.

“It’s—it’s okay, Sans, I’ll get us back,” Papyrus said, but he could feel himself panicking. He hadn’t really had a chance to consider that perhaps all this running might be taking its toll, but his soul was feeling weak, strained.

His magic was critically low.

But that didn’t matter. Papyrus’ eye sockets widened as he saw the bedraggled monster climbing to its feet, its gaze fixed on himself and his brother.

“Sans, let’s go!” he cried, pulling his brother into the elevator. The monster leapt at them, split-seconds before the world was spinning around them. Papyrus felt a painful tug on his soul, telling him that his HP was severely low. But, the next moment, they were hurtling to the ground, landing painfully, Papyrus sliding through the snow. He vaguely saw Sans a few feet away from him, toppling onto his back, barely visible through the swirling mass of white. Papyrus lay on the ground for a few moments, stunned. Snow, there was snow. They were in Snowdin. But…

Papyrus glanced around. The snowstorm obscured his vision, and he couldn’t see much further than about ten feet. But even within the storm, he could tell they weren’t anywhere near the Underfell brothers’ house. Distantly, he could hear the sound of rushing water, and through the howling wind he could hear… shouting?

“Papy, look out!”

Papyrus barely had time to react as a heavy weight landed on his chest, crushing him against the snowy ground. He gasped in pain, feeling his HP dropping lower. He looked up, and saw the savage, black furred monster, its yellow teeth pulled into a foul grin. It was pressing against his chest, and Papyrus could feel its claws scraping against his ribs, sending a sharp pain through him.

“It’s been weeks since I’ve dusted anyone,” the monster growled, a cold, echoing quality to its voice. “Consider yourself lucky. I don’t think I’ll be able to make this one slow.”

Papyrus tried with all his strength to summon any kind of magic that might help him, but his soul was cold and empty, begging him for relief. Clearly, that short-cut had taken the last of his strength. They’d barely even made it into Snowdin. All Papyrus could do was squeeze his eye sockets closed as the monster lifted a clawed fist, ready to strike him into dust.

Suddenly, Papyrus heard an angry cry, and the heavy weight was thrown off his chest. He opened his eyes to see Sans, wrestling the monster to the ground, his left eye socket flaming with cyan magic, a small, sharp bone attack grasped in his hand. The monster snarled beneath him, and tried to lash out, but Sans quickly brought his free hand up, blocking the attack with a small burst of blue sparks, causing the monster to howl as the magic burned its paw.

“S-Sans…”

Papyrus tried to cry out to his brother, but he could already feel himself losing consciousness, the world spinning before his eyes.

_“Nobody hurts my brother,”_ Sans snarled, bringing a fist of burning magic down and making rough contact with the monsters face. It gave a yowl of pain, and tried to fight back, but Sans didn’t relent. He continued to beat against it with his fist, flaming magic scorching the creatures fur.

“Sans… don’t…”

Papyrus’ voice came as barely a whisper, and Sans didn’t seem to hear him, continuing to slam blow after blow of heated magic against the monster, drawing a string of pained cries and howls from it. Papyrus tried to get up, but his arms were weak, shaking beneath his weight, and he immediately slumped back down into the snow. He could do nothing more than watch, as his brother struck the monster below him, tearing into its ragged clothes, its fur, its skin, ripping it apart. Blood splattered onto Sans’ face and clothes, but he didn’t seem to notice.

_“I’m. Not. Weak,”_ Sans growled, almost as if to himself, as he raised his sharpened dagger of blue magic, before finally bringing it down with incredible assault, plunging it into the creature’s chest.

“N-no…” Papyrus choked. But it was too late. The monster’s final cries of agony were broken off as its dark, shadowed soul shattered, and its body turned into dust.

Sans stared down at the ashy pile before him, a look of taut fury on his face, his hands shaking slightly, left eye socket still sparking with bright, cyan magic.

“Sans…” Papyrus managed to gasp, his mind slowly pulling him away from the waking world. Sans turned, seeming almost startled by the sound of Papyrus’ voice. His eyes widened when they found his brother, then he glanced frantically back at the pile of dust in front of him, still kneeling where the monster had been. He ran his hands through the dust, his eyes still wide, the powdery substance falling between his fingers.

“No…” Sans gasped, as if realisation had suddenly hit him. “No… no, no, no!” Tears began to well up in Sans’ eye sockets, and he glanced frantically at Papyrus, who could do nothing but lie still, exhaustion slowly taking over. “Papy, what have I done? What did I do! No, I—I…” Sans’ frantic cries slowly seemed to fade into the background of swirling wind, the noise of the snowstorm the only thing that Papyrus could properly register.

Just before he lost consciousness, Papyrus managed to do a ‘check’ of the weeping skeleton before him.

**Sans**

**LV: 2**

**HP: 100**

**ATK: 40**

**DEF: 50**

**Innocence is the greatest form of deception.**


	53. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They deserve some fluff ◡_◡✿

Sans trembled, staring at the pile of dust before him in horror. He watched as the chalky powder slipped through his fingers, small particles of it blowing away in the wind. It was so… dry. So lifeless. So cold. Sans had expected there to be some sort of magical remnant, something to show that this pile of dust had once been a monster.

But there was nothing.

Nothing but dust. Dry, plain powder, which had already partially been scattered by the swirling snowstorm.

Sans looked up to where his brother was lying. His eyes were closed, his body still. Sans wanted to go up to him, to see if he was okay, to help him. But he couldn’t move. He was stuck. Stuck here, with the dust he had created. With the monster _he_ had killed.

He had just killed someone.

Sans had just ended the life of another monster.

His hands were shaking, dust and blood clinging to them. He couldn’t breathe. His entire body felt numb, even as the icy storm whirled around him. He wasn’t crying. Shouldn’t he be crying? He tried to summon tears, but his eye sockets felt dry, and his magic seemed despondent, cold.

“Blue!”

It took Sans a couple of seconds to register that someone was calling his name. He slowly turned, and through the toil of white, he could see two figures approaching. As they grew closer, he realised that it was Edge and Red. They were running at full speed, both looking panicked. Red was calling his name.

“Blue? Blue, are you okay?”

Sans looked up at Red as he approached, his expression blank.

“Red…”

“Blue, what happened? Are you hurt? What’s…”

Red looked down at the dwindling pile of dust at Sans’ hands, and his eye sockets went wide.

“It’s dead,” Sans said, plainly. Red glanced between Sans and the dust, his expression frantic.

“S-Sans—”

“I did it,” Sans breathed. “I killed it. I killed someone.”

Red stared at him in bewilderment, as if he was unable to speak. His eye-lights were bright, their deep red a contrast against the white snow. Sans looked down at his hands, seeing the dark stains of blood. A sick, crawling feeling ran over his bones, a wave of nausea crashing over his soul. He suddenly wanted to get far away from here. As far as he could. He wanted to wash himself, to get off this blood, this dust. He jumped up, backing away from the powdery substance, and watching in disgust as it scattered in the wind.

“No…” Sans breathed, staring down. He tried to brush the dust off his clothes, but it seemed to cling to him, the particles sticking to the fabric, leaving a white residue. “No, no! Get it off! Get it off me!” Sans cried, desperately trying to brush away the dust.

“Sans, stop!”

Sans lifted his hands, staring at the bloodstains which were splattered across his fingers. He whimpered, and tried to rub them off on his shirt, only succeeding in collecting more dust onto his hands, which stuck to him, refusing to fall away.

“Get it off me! I can’t—it’s not going away! R-Red, please!” Sans looked at Red frantically, the tears finally coming. Red was giving him a despairing look, his teeth gritted, his eyes distressed.

“S-Sans, I can’t… I don’t know…”

“Red, you have to help me! You have to fix it! B-bring it back! N-no, it’s not dead! It’s not dead, I just… I just have to…” Sans stared at the scattering dust, helplessly. He brought his hands to his head, trembling, his soul twisting and aching in his chest. “No… n-no, I—I killed someone! R-Red, it’s dead! It’s dead!” Sans cried out, dropping to the ground, his hands clutching handfuls of snow, his tears falling onto the snow, staining it blue. “It’s dead… b-bring it back, Red! Please, I—I killed… I…” Sans broke down in uncontrollable sobs, his soul racing in his chest. He choked on his tears, and continued to whimper as Red crouched down beside him, wrapping Sans in his arms.

“C’mon, Blue, let’s go home.”

Red pulled Sans against him, so that Sans’ face was buried in his chest, and he could smell Red’s musky scent. He sobbed against him, feeling his tears splashing against Red’s jacket as Red lifted him from the ground, arms still clutched around him. They began to walk through the snow, away from the almost dispersed pile of dust Sans had created. Sans glanced around.

“W-where—where’s my brother?” he asked through his sobs.

“Edge took him home,” Red said, his arm still wrapped around Sans, so that he was tight against Red’s chest. “He’ll be okay.”

“R-Red…”

“Shh, it’s okay, bud. Let’s go home.”

They trudged through the snow, the loud gale of the storm blaring around them, the small, biting cold flakes spitting against Sans’ bones, which were still rather warm from his heat. He didn’t look back.

When they reached the front door, Red still didn’t let go of Sans, pushing the door open with one hand. Sans looked around the living room, but there was no sign of his brother or Edge. Red kept his arm around Sans all the way upstairs, guiding him down the hall and into his bedroom. He took a step back as Sans stripped off his clothes, discarding them in the laundry basket. Sans didn’t feel embarrassed or shy, even when nothing but his pants remained. In fact, he was still feeling rather warm, the heat seeming to radiate off his bones. He turned to look at Red, who was staring at a corner of the room, deliberately looking away from him.

“Red,” he said, quietly. Red looked up, then quickly averted his eyes as he saw that Sans was completely naked.

“Um… yes?”

“I want to… take a shower.”

“Oh. Oh—yes, sure, I’ll—I’ll wait for you.”

Sans shook his head, and walked over to Red, placing a hand on one of his. It looked so strange – his bloodied, dusty hand in Red’s clean, but scarred one. Red looked up in surprise, his eye-lights wide.

“N-no… do you think you could maybe… join me?”

Red looked startled.

“J-join you?”

Sans looked away, his soul slumping.

“Oh, n-no. It’s okay, you don’t have to, I understand.”

“Oh, no! No, I will! Of course I will, Sans, whatever you need.” Red brought a hand to Sans’ cheek, turning his face so that their eyes met. “I’m here for you, okay?” Red held Sans’ gaze until he nodded, then pulled him into a tight hug. Sans pressed his face against Red’s shoulder, and began to feel tears welling up in his eye sockets once again. He sniffed, clinging onto Red like he was the only thing keeping him from falling into a deep abyss.

“R-Red…”

“Shh, you’re alright, buddy. I’ve got you.”

Sans cried against Red’s shoulder for a few moments, Red’s grip around him never loosening. Sans couldn’t hold back the painful sobs as they ripped through his chest, his breath coming in short gasps. All he could do was cling desperately onto Red, and hope the pain in his soul would go away. His naked bones felt hot, and Red’s comforting touches seemed to provide a mild sense of refreshment. He gradually drew away, Red still holding him, looking into his eyes.

“Come, let’s get you cleaned up,” Red said, softly. He guided Sans to the bathroom, Sans still without his clothes, and closed the door behind them. Sans idly wandered over to the mirror, and stared at his reflection. But the skeleton looking back at him wasn’t Sans. At least, it certainly didn’t look like him.

It had his eyes – the large blue eye-lights, filled with tiny stars. Only, the stars were barely visible, flickering faintly within the unusually dim, murky blue. The face of the skeleton in the mirror was tired, worn down. Sans was never tired; surely this couldn’t be him. And smeared across the cheek bones of this skeleton, were dark stains of blood. A small smattering of dust clung to it, and Sans started to feel a little queasy. He looked down at his hands, which bore the same stains.

Suddenly, he felt an arm around him, drawing him away from the mirror. Sans glanced up to see Red, who was regarding him soberly.

“Come on, pal. You’ll feel better once you’re clean.”

Sans stepped into the shower, turning the taps. He stayed under the stream of water, even when it was still cold, and let it wash over his bones, flowing through him. If anything, the cold water was a pleasant relief to his bones, which were still burning slightly. He could feel the blood and dirt falling away in the steady stream, and he watched it swirl in the water at his feet, before flowing down the drain. It took Sans a moment to realise that he’d left the shower door open, and another moment to remember that Red was still standing there. He looked up to see the other skeleton hovering awkwardly just outside the shower, averting his eyes.

“Red.”

Red immediately looked up, then blushed, glancing at the floor.

“Oh, s-sorry! I—I’ll leave if you want…”

“No, don’t,” said Sans, quickly. Red looked up in surprise. “Um… I mean, s-stay if you want. Please.” Sans’ voice was small, and despite himself, he blushed. The warmth on his cheek bones hardly compared to the burning feeling gathering at his pelvic bone. Red seemed to notice, because his eye-lights flickered downwards, widening slightly, before returning to Sans’ face.

Suddenly, Sans felt disgusting.

How could he be aroused at a time like this? While he was covered in dirt and blood, and the dust of the monster he’d just…

A sharp sob escaped him, and he leaned against the glass of the shower, bringing a hand up to cover his face. Tears spilled between his fingers, mingling with the water from the shower. Sans suddenly felt a strong pair of arms around him, and he glanced up to see Red holding him tightly, his jacket getting soaked in the shower water. But he didn’t seem bothered, running gentle caresses down Sans’ back.

“Hey Sans, it’s okay. I’m here, it’s okay.” Sans continued to sob, the tears flowing down his cheeks. “Hey, what’s the matter, pal?”

Sans choked, sobbing into Red’s jacket, the cyan tears washing off under the stream of water.

“I’m—I… I shouldn’t—shouldn’t f-feel like this,” Sans whimpered, his words stuttering slightly. “H-how can I… b-be like this right n-now? A-after what I j-just did… I’m d-disgusting.”

Red suddenly pulled away from Sans, and held him at arm’s length, looking into his eye-lights intensely. There was something deep within them, the crimson flickering slightly.

“Don’t you ever say that, Sans.” Red’s tone was low, almost commanding. “Don’t you dare. You are _not_ disgusting. Not to me.” Red took a deep breath. “Sans, you are wonderful, okay? You are just…” Red looked strained, something seeming to break in his expression. “Ya mean so much to me. And I’m so glad you’re okay. I—I don’t care about what ya did. I don’t. I only care that you’re alive, that you’re safe. Ya got it?” Red pulled Sans against him once again, and Sans rested his head on Red’s shoulder, closing his eyes and just letting the feeling of the other skeleton’s cool bones permeate through him.

“Got it,” he whispered.

“Good.” Red drew away, and Sans felt his body ache at the loss of contact. “Now, do—do you want me to…?” Red glanced down at Sans’ pelvic bone, blushing, and Sans suddenly realised what he meant.

“Red, I… I shouldn’t… I just k-k… d-dusted—I shouldn’t be…”

Red shook his head.

“Sans, you’re in heat. That doesn’t matter, okay? If you leave it, you’ll be in a lot of pain.” Red glanced away, looking anxious. “I… I can go if you want. Or…”

“N-no! Stay,” Sans said, quickly. “P-please… I-if you want.” Red looked back up at him, his eye-lights gentle, but sincere.

“Sans, do… do you want me to…?”

Red glanced away again, his cheek bones flushed.

“C-can you… help me, Red?” Sans asked, nervously. “Like—like you did l-last night?”

“L-like…?”

“Like when you… t-touched me.”

Sans looked away, his cheek bones burning. But suddenly, he felt a cool hand on his chin, lifting his face back up.

“Of course, Sans.”

Red’s eye-lights were bright, the crimson flickering slightly. The sight, and feeling of Red’s fingers gently pressed against his chin sent a pulse of heat through Sans’ soul, and he suddenly felt the urge to pull Red closer to him, to feel every inch of him. But, much to his dismay, Red took a step back, pulling off his soaking jacket, and discarding it on the floor. He then began to remove the remainder of his clothes, until he was wearing nothing but his socks. He stepped back into the shower, and cupped Sans’ cheek.

“What about your socks?” Sans asked, looking down, frowning slightly. To his surprise, Red blushed.

“Oh, I, um… like to keep them on.”

Despite himself, Sans smiled slightly.

“I-in the shower?” he asked, amused. Red’s blush deepened.

“N-no, I mean… during—during sex.”

Sans’ soul did a somersault.

“Oh.”

Now it was his turn to blush, the faint cyan creeping across his cheek bones.

“Is that okay?” Red asked, seeming anxious.

“What? Oh—oh yes, of course it is! I… I don’t mind.”

Red smiled. He then trailed his hand down Sans’ cheek bone, the cooling sensation tingling through Sans’ bones. Red leaned forward, bringing his other hand to the back of Sans’ neck, and Sans rested his hand on Red’s spine. For a few seconds, Red simply gazed into his eyes, his own red eye-lights flickering. Then, he leaned forward, pressing their mouths together. Sans suddenly realised that his cyan ecto-tongue had already formed in his mouth, and was feeling hot, urging him to mingle it with Red’s cool magic. Sans licked gently over Red’s teeth, and felt them parting, granting him entrance to Red’s mouth. He pushed his magic over Red’s mouth, until he felt the cool crimson of Red’s own tongue meet his. They kissed each other gently for a few moments, when Sans suddenly felt a hot burning at his pelvic bone. He gave a soft whimper, and Red began to trail his hand down Sans’ ribs, leaving a faint cool trail.

When Red reached his hip bone, he circled it lightly with his thumb. Sans felt his magic forming, but he suddenly realised it wasn’t forming what he was used to.

“W-wait!” he cried, and Red pulled back immediately, looking at him uncertainly.

“What is it?” he asked, eye-lights frantic. Sans took a deep breath, and glanced down. Where his magic would normally have formed an ecto-cock, was now a pussy, cyan magic already running down his femurs. Red glanced down, then looked back up at Sans. “Sans, are you—okay?” Sans brought a hand to his mouth, feeling tears pooling at his eye sockets once again.

“R-Red, I’ve never… I don’t know how…”

Red’s eye sockets widened in realisation.

“O-oh, you’ve never… had a—hey, it’s okay, Sans. It’s okay.” He took a tentative step towards Sans, and placed his hands on Sans’ shoulders. “Why don’t you let me take the lead? I can make you feel good, I promise.” Red’s words sent a faint shudder through Sans, and he looked up at the rougher skeleton, wiping the tears away from his cheek bones.

“R-Red, I…”

“Hey, we can stop any time you want to,” Red assured him, running a thumb over his cheek bone. “I promise you, it’ll feel nice, you can trust me, Sans. I’ll take care of you.” Sans practically melted beneath Red’s touch, his words, his gaze. He nodded, before pushing himself against Red once again, earning him a surprised gasp as he brought their mouths together. He licked against Red’s tongue, tasting the musky, but cool magic against his own. He trailed a hand over Red’s spine, feeling the other skeleton shiver beneath his touch. Red slowly began to move his hand down again, pausing when he reached Sans’ hip, and drawing away to look him in the eye. “Are you sure you want me to do this, bud?” He held Sans’ gaze, waiting for his instruction.

“Y-yes,” Sans breathed. “Please, Red.”

Red smiled, nodding, before leaning against Sans, and kissing him again. He trailed his tongue over Sans’ teeth, and into his mouth, his cool magic sending a warm jolt through Sans’ bones. Sans gasped suddenly, as he felt Red trailing a finger over his folds. Sans had never experienced this sensation before, but he was thoroughly enjoying it. He pressed closer to Red, trying to get more friction. Red slowly pushed his finger between Sans’ folds, and ran it over a spot inside his pussy that sent a sudden spasm of pleasure through him. Sans gasped, drawing back slightly.

“H-how did you…?”

Red smiled at Sans, chuckling softly.

“Heh, that’s your clit, Sans.”

Sans’ eye sockets widened, and he glared at Red.

“Don’t—don’t say that word!” he squeaked, blushing. Red grinned, leaning forward, and Sans felt him beginning to rub over that area, extracting a low whine from Sans. “Ngh… gah, Red…”

“Heh, it feels really good when someone touches you there. Like…” Red gently pressed down, before speeding up his motions, and Sans moaned, dropping his head to Red’s shoulder. “Hmm, do you like it Sans?” Red hummed against Sans’ cheek bone, his tongue licking lightly over the bones there.

“R-Red… aah… p-please… need m-more…”

Sans could feel a faint trail of sticky magic running down his femur, his body feeling hot and needy. Red suddenly drew away, and Sans whined at the loss of contact.

“I think I know what you need, Sans,” Red said, his voice low. He trailed his hands over Sans’ hips, before dropping to his knees. Sans looked down at him, eyes wide.

“Red…”

“I’ve got you, bud. Just relax.”

Red trailed a finger over Sans’ folds, before leaning forward, his tongue brushing over Sans’ inner thigh. Sans’ breath hitched, and he looked down at Red in alarm.

“R-Red, what are you—”

“Do you want me to stop?” Red asked, glancing up.

“N-no!” Sans cried, a little too loudly. Red smirked. “I—I mean, just… g-go slow, please.” Red nodded, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over Sans’ femur.

“Of course, Sans.”

He then dipped his head once again, and began licking up the trail of magic on Sans’ femur. Sans shivered under the feeling of Red’s cool, crimson tongue, sliding over his bones. Red hesitated when he reached Sans’ pelvic bone, both of his hands still gently gripping Sans’ femurs.

“R-Red, please…”

“Shh, it’s okay, Sans,” Red murmured.

He gently trailed his tongue over Sans’ folds, and Sans gave a soft whimper. Then, Red gently pressed his tongue between them, and slid it delicately over Sans’ clit, sending a jolt of pleasure through Sans.

“Hgnh… Red…”

Red slowly trailed his tongue over Sans’ clit, before softly pressing down, sending a pleasant warm sensation through Sans’ groin. Sans pushed his hips forward, eager to feel more of Red’s soothing tongue, satiating his burning heat between his legs. Sans’ soul pulsed in his chest, begging for more contact, more relief. Red languidly licked over Sans’ pussy, hesitating at his clit, where he swirled his magic, before pressing down, creating a pleasant friction.

“Red, ah… ngh…”

Sans brought a hand up to his mouth, stifling the gasps and moans that were trying to escape him. He pressed his other hand against the tiles of the wall, as if trying to get a grip on something, but his phalanges just slid over the slippery surface. So instead, Sans reached his hand down, placing it on the back of Red’s skull, fingers scraping over the rough bone. He felt Red hum against his pussy, and the sound sent a hot jolt of arousal through him, the heat in his bones intensifying.

“Hmm, hah… ah, Red…”

Red suddenly slid his tongue over Sans’ entrance, and Sans’ breath hitched. Red paused, glancing up at him, and Sans’ soul practically melted at the sight of his own cyan magic staining Red’s mouth.

“Sans…”

“D-don’t stop!” Sans gasped, and Red smiled.

“Heh, anything for you, Sansy.”

Sans blushed at the nickname, as Red ducked his head once again, and began running his tongue over Sans’ pussy, his movements quicker, more deliberate. He slowly pushed his magic against Sans’ entrance, and Sans whined.

“Y-yes, Red… ngh… please…”

Red gently began to press his tongue inside Sans, who dropped his head back, moaning.

“Gah—Red, f-feels so… so good. Please…”

Red pushed his tongue in further, slowly breaching Sans’ magic. He then drew it out, Sans whining at the loss of Red’s magic. But Red, quickly pushed it in again, a little further this time, Sans whimpering. Red gradually slid his tongue in and out of Sans’ entrance, the sensation sending spasms of euphoria through Sans, the faint chill of Red’s magic soothing Sans’ aching heat. He suddenly began to feel a warm pressure building inside his pussy, and he felt his walls clenching slightly around Red’s tongue.

“R-Red, I… gah…”

Red continued to slide his tongue in and out of Sans, the friction building the pleasant pressure inside him. He brought both his hands to clutch onto Red’s skull, moaning as Red began to lick over Sans’ clit once again, this time at a much quicker pace, the motions creating a blissful friction against Sans’ magic. Sans started panting, feeling his orgasm rising inside him, his breath coming in gasps.

“Red—ah—hah, ngh… I… ah, Red…”

Sans clung to Red’s skull as he came, the other skeleton’s name falling from his tongue as he gasped and moaned, a sticky trail of magic running from his pussy. Red continued to lick over Sans’ magic, his cool tongue completing the feeling of cool ecstasy coursing through Sans’ bones. When Sans had ridden his orgasm to completion, he slumped against the shower wall, revelling in the faint, cool tingling in his bones. Red climbed to his feet, rising to meet Sans’ mouth with his own. Sans could feel the remnants of his hot, sweet magic, clinging to Red’s tongue, and he sighed against Red’s mouth. When Red drew away, there was an intense look on his face, but he was smiling slightly.

“How was that, bud? You feel better?”

Sans blushed, eyes flickering to the floor.

“M-much better, Red. Th-thank you.”

“Heh, anytime, pal.” Red leaned forward to kiss him again, his hand cupping Sans’ jaw. When their mouths parted, Red hesitated, hovering his thumb over the corner of Sans’ mouth, rubbing small, gentle circles. He then took a small step back, observing Sans with a tender expression as he turned off the shower taps, stopping the steady stream of water. “Is there anything else you need? You want something to eat? Or do you just wanna go to bed?”

Sans paused, considering. He looked up at Red, feeling a hint of sorrow creeping back into his soul.

“Can I… s-see my brother?” he asked, tentatively. Red looked surprised.

“Oh, yeah of—of course.” Red frowned slightly. “I think he’s asleep though. Why do you want to…?”

“I just… I—I need to see him,” Sans said, quickly, looking down. Red nodded, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel.

“Yeah, sure, no problem, bud. Here, why don’t you dry off and I’ll go fetch you a change of clothes.” Sans nodded, and Red handed him the towel, before leaving the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Sans took a deep breath, before drying himself off, and wrapping the towel around his shoulders. He walked slowly over to the mirror, which was now misted up. Sans hesitated slightly, before rubbing away some of the condensation, so that he could see his reflection in the glass.

He looked a lot cleaner now – the blood and dust washed away from his face. And he certainly felt a lot better, the heat in his bones now only a faint warmth. But there was still that look in his eye-lights; the dim, faded stars twinkling just a little less brightly. He took a deep breath, and looked down at his hands. They were smooth, unsullied, clean. But they shouldn’t be. Barely an hour ago, Sans had used these very hands to turn another monster into dust. He sighed, looking away from the mirror. He needed to see his brother. Somehow, he just felt that seeing Papyrus would make everything better.

 

****

 

Red hesitantly pushed open Edge’s bedroom door. Sans peered around him, trying to get a view inside.

“Boss? Boss, it’s us. Blue wants to… see him.”

“Of course,” came Edge’s voice, albeit a little stiffly, “come in.”

Sans followed Red into Edge’s room, shutting the door behind them. It was quite dark inside, but Sans could still make out his brother, fast asleep on the bed. He looked so… fragile. Especially with Edge, who was so sharp and overbearing, that constant menacing look on his face. Beside him, Papyrus seemed so small, so delicate, and Sans wanted nothing more than to pull his big brother close, to hold him, keep him safe – to get him away from this cruel universe. He wandered over to the bed, and sat down beside Edge, looking over his brother.

“Is he… okay?” Sans asked, tentatively.

“He’s fine,” Edge said. “I… checked his soul. He’s just… weak.” Sans frowned, staring down at Papyrus. Even now, when he was in such a deep sleep, he looked… exhausted. There were faint, dark circles under his eye sockets, and his cheek bones were pale, gaunt. He didn’t look calm, or peaceful. Somehow, there still seemed to be a hint of distress, contorting his features. Suddenly, Sans felt a painful lurch in his soul. He couldn’t stop the hot tears from leaking from his eye sockets, falling down his cheeks. He sobbed, and leaned down, resting his head on Papyrus’ chest, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

“I—I’m so sorry, Papy,” he whispered. “I… I l-let you down. I know y-you never wanted me to—to be like this…” Sans trailed off, crying against Papyrus’ chest. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his back, and he looked up to see Edge looking down at him, his expression empathetic, his eyes sad. It was a strange look for such an intimidating monster.

“You didn’t let him down, Blue,” Edge said, quietly. Sans shook his head, the tears still running down his cheek bones, leaving trails of cyan magic.

“N-no, you don’t… don’t understand. I’m his—his l-little brother. I’m s-supposed to—to be g-good, and… I… I h-hurt—I k-killed someone. R-right in front of him.” Sans broke down into uncontrollable sobs, burying his head against Papyrus once again. He could feel his brother’s deep breathing, his chest slowly rising and falling. Out of the corner of his eye socket, he saw Edge shoot Red a glance.

“Hey, bud.” Sans felt Red resting a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t look up, keeping his face buried in his brother’s hoodie. “You know your bro doesn’t actually care about all that stuff. He loves you—the rest is just… superficial crap. Paps will love you no matter what. You’re his brother.”

“B-but how could he p-possibly love me now that I—that I’m a—a killer?” Sans broke down once again, clutching onto Papyrus’ hoodie, staining it with blue tears.

“Oh come on, pal.” Red ran a hand over Sans’ arm. “He loves Edge, doesn’t he? And look at him? He’s the biggest murderer of us all.” Sans glanced up through his tears, frowning at Red, who was looking sheepish. Edge had an unreadable expression on his face, but Sans noticed him shooting an irritated look in his brother’s direction. He then turned to Sans, who still couldn’t stop the painful sobs from escaping him, and rested a hand gently on his shoulder.

“Look, Sans.” Edge’s voice was soft, but firm, and Sans felt a little startled that Edge had used his real name. He’d only ever heard the rough skeleton call his own brother Sans. “Look at your brother.” Sans frowned in confusion, and Edge nodded in the direction of Papyrus. “Look at him.” Sans turned, gazing down at Papyrus. “He’s alive. He’s alive _because of you.”_ Sans felt an uncomfortable jolt in his soul, and he quivered slightly as he stared down at the sleeping skeleton before him. “If you hadn’t done what you did, your brother would be dead.” Sans whimpered, feeling fresh tears brimming at his eye sockets.

“Boss…”

“Listen to me, Sans,” Edge continued, ignoring Red. “I don’t care what you did, and neither does Red. And honestly, your brother might have a bit of a stick up his ass when it comes to killing, but at the end of the day, he’s not going to hate you for it. Because you saved his life. You saved him, Sans. He’s alive, because of what you did. Look at him.” Edge’s grip on Sans’ shoulder remained firm, and Sans watched his brother, the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed, the look on his face, the way his fingers were curled slightly around the sheets of the bed. Sans pressed his head against Papyrus’ chest once again, and felt the distant thrum of his soul through his clothes. He felt the tears sliding down his cheeks, and he took a deep, shuddering breath.

“B-but what if… what if I didn’t just d-do it for my brother?” Sans’ voice was small, barely a whisper. He lifted his head from Papyrus’ chest, and looked up at Edge and Red. They were both frowning, looking confused.

“What do you mean, bud?” Red asked.

Sans felt that familiar queasiness in his soul, the uncomfortable lurch of guilt.

“W-what if I… I did it because… because…” Sans trailed off, unable to get the remainder of the words out.

“Because of what?” Edge asked, eye sockets narrowing.

“Because,” Sans sighed, composing himself, “because I’m so tired of people thinking I’m weak. I’m so sick of them believing that I can’t t-take care of myself—or that I can’t take care of my brother!” Sans could feel the tears returning to his eye sockets, and he wiped them away, angrily.

Both Edge and Red looked bewildered, staring at Sans in shock.

“S-Sans, what are you—”

“No one thinks I’m the strong one—no one!” Sans could feel the fury boiling in his soul, mingled in with the guilt, and the sorrow, and the relief even, that his brother was alive. The emotions were overwhelming, and he wanted nothing more than to scream. “I—I’ve always been the—the small one, the weak one—the one that everyone wants to—to protect! But I don’t _need_ protecting! I can—can take care of myself. I can take care of my brother!” Sans looked down at Papyrus, and a sliver of his rage dissipated, and was replaced with an overwhelming protective instinct, a possessiveness even.

“Sans…”

“Undyne doesn’t think I’m strong enough to—to be a member of the Royal Guard,” Sans went on, his breaths coming fast. “Sh-she said that—that I was too—too weak to fight! That I couldn’t do what it took to protect the people I care about!”

“Sans,” Red sounded desperate, as if trying to reason with Sans, “she was wrong. She shouldn’t have said—”

“And—and the King said it too!” Sans snapped, cutting Red off. “He said that—that I would die if I was attacked—that I wouldn’t be able to protect m-my brother!” Sans could feel the tears streaming down his face now, hot and angry.

“Sans, you can’t listen to him,” Red urged. “He—he was just trying to—”

“And what about you two?” Sans hissed. “You two are—are the worst of them all!”

Red and Edge stared at Sans, perplexed.

“Sans,” Red whispered, sounding aghast. “You know we would never—”

“Oh really?” Sans looked at Red, holding his gaze harshly. “Then why won’t you ever let me go out on my own? Or—or let me train alone with Undyne?” He shot Edge a cold glare, and Edge narrowed his eye sockets.

“Blue, you know we’re only doing it for your protection. We know you can take care of yourself.”

Sans groaned in exasperation.

“Oh, please! If you did, you wouldn’t be… coddling me all the time! I’m not weak!”

“We know you’re not weak, Sans,” Red said, sounding distressed.

“Well then, why do you always—always try to cushion me? Like you don’t trust me to… to be strong enough to survive on my own?”

“Blue.” Edge’s tone was firm, but calm, and he was regarding Sans with a serious expression. “We know you can take care of yourself. Neither of us think you’re weak, trust me. But can you imagine how your brother would feel if we let something happen to you? Just think about it.”

Sans frowned.

“B-but he wouldn’t—”

“And how would _you_ feel,” Edge continued, “if we were to let something happen to _him?”_

Sans’ soul stuttered, and he looked down at his brother. He felt a sudden yearning in his chest, and he tore his gaze away from Papyrus, looking back up at Edge and Red, quivering slightly.

“I… I d-don’t…” Sans struggled to find words, his soul aching. He suddenly felt exhausted. Red placed a reassuring hand on Sans’ arm.

“You don’t have to prove to us that you’re not weak, bud, we already know that you’re not—trust me, we know.”

Sans suddenly felt the familiar sensation of tears prickling at his eye sockets, and he looked down at his brother.

“I… I k-killed that monster,” he breathed. “I d-didn’t want anyone to—to think that I c-couldn’t take care of m-my brother…”

“You did take care of him, Sans,” said Edge, his voice gentle. “You saved his life. And it doesn’t matter what other reasons you may have had for doing what you did, because at the end of the day, the outcome is the same. Your brother is alive.”

“B-but… Red,” Sans looked up at his rougher counterpart. “Y-you said that… that there’s always a choice… that you don’t have to…”

“Bud,” Red took a hold of Sans’ hand, looking into his eye-lights. “Was it really a choice?”

Sans stared down at Papyrus. It was some small wonder that he hadn’t awoken amidst Sans’ frantic yelling—he must be truly exhausted. His breathing was deep, and Sans rested a hand on his chest, feeling the distant resonance of his soul.

“No,” he whispered. “No, it wasn’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter ^.^ bit of a break from all the angst (kind of).
> 
> Unfortunately I probably won't be able to upload until sometime near the end of next week, but I'll try and pre-write a few more chapters when I have a little free time so I have some stuff to post later!


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am alive!  
> Sorry I haven't posted in so long, it's been a very busy week. But another chapter, hooray!  
> Unfortunately, I have a lot on next week as well, so I might only be able to get one or two chapters out then as well. But for now, I hope you enjoy this one!!

_Papyrus watched in muted detachment as they walked towards him. The knife they were holding was dripping with blood, and their clothes, their face, their skin, were all covered in dust. Normally, at this point, the human would have that bored look on their face. That blank expression that told Papyrus they were as sick of this as he was. But not this time._

_This time had been different._

_As soon as Chara had stepped out of the ruins, Papyrus had been able to tell something had changed. It wasn’t like they were doing this out of boredom anymore, or even out of curiosity. It was like they were doing it because they had to – because they were enjoying it. Every monster they dusted, every step they took – it seemed to thrill them, to satisfy them… to a point. Then they would kill again. It was as if they couldn’t get enough, as if it were powering them, driving them forward._

_And they had this look on their face. This deranged, delighted smile. It seemed that every time they dusted another monster, every time their LOVE increased, they got a thrill, a kick, and it would spur them forward, urging them to kill again._

_By the time they’d reached Sans, Papyrus had been able to see it. The shadow in their soul. The darkness, which seemed to twist them, corrupt them, warp their mind, so that the only thing they could do was kill. And Papyrus didn’t know what it was. He didn’t know where this strange darkness shrouding the human’s soul had come from. He had never seen it before – not once in their multitude of runs. And every time they killed – every time their LOVE increased – the darkness seemed to grow, as if it were spreading over their soul, enveloping it._

_And now, here they were, walking towards him, that maniacal grin plastered onto their features, dagger in hand. Their soul was almost completely black, but for the one tiny speck of red that remained. Papyrus waited in the middle of the last corridor, leaning against one of the pillars, as he always did._

_‘So you’re here at last,’ he said, trying to keep his tone casual, but unable to hide the hint of fear that tainted it._

_‘So I am,’ said Chara, still grinning. ‘This always was my favourite part. Well—second favourite. Killing your brother was pretty euphoric.’_

_Papyrus flinched, but managed to keep his features neutral. He knew how this ended. He would see Sans again. He always did. Even if this time was different, he knew the human would have to reset, to bring his brother back._

_‘Well then, why don’t we just get to the point?’ Papyrus’ tone was bored. He knew Chara would defeat him. They always did, and he wasn’t in the mood for a long fight. But, to his surprise, Chara laughed. The sound was cold and empty, echoing through the hallway._

_‘Oh, but Papy dear, don’t you want to know what’s been going on?’ Papyrus felt a flicker of anger in his soul as they used Sans’ nickname for him. ‘I know you can tell that there’s something different about me.’ Chara grinned. ‘Don’t you want to know what’s happened to my soul?’_

_Papyrus frowned, the human’s cold, detached voice sending a shudder through him._

_‘I didn’t realise you were sane enough for storytelling,’ he said, dryly. Chara’s grin widened._

_‘Oh don’t worry, this story won’t be long.’ They ran their eyes over him, an almost hungry look in their eyes. ‘And I don’t think I could control myself for very long anyway. I’m just itching to slice you open.’_

_Papyrus couldn’t stop himself from cringing. He rolled his eye-lights, attempting nonchalance._

_‘Okay then, hit me. What made your soul decide to go goth?’_

_Chara snickered, and began strolling casually towards Papyrus, scraping their blade along the pillars against the wall as they went._

_‘Papy, Papy, Papy, you’re asking all the wrong questions,’ they said, tutting. Papyrus raised his brow bone._

_‘And what questions should I be asking, brat?’_

_Chara paused, smiling. They began twiddling the knife between their fingers, small particles of dust falling from it._

_‘Hm. Do you know what it feels like? Killing?’_

_Papyrus frowned._

_‘I suppose you’re about to tell me.’_

_Chara grinned._

_‘It’s euphoric.’ They closed their eyes, an enraptured expression on their face. ‘Every time I feel my LOVE going up, every time I see some poor, pathetic creature’s dust crumbling in my hands, every time I hear them scream…’ Chara opened their eyes, something flashing within them ‘… I feel so alive.’_

_Papyrus failed to suppress the cold, sickening shudder that ran down his spine. He gritted his teeth, and tried to keep the sheer terror out of his voice._

_‘And what exactly does this have to do with your… soul?’ he asked, although deep within him, he dreaded that he already knew the answer._

_‘Oh, this?’ Chara glanced down at the black glow emitting from their chest. ‘This is the best part. This is what makes it so much fun. It’s like… I have this urge – this aching in my soul. And dusting poor, weak, pathetic monsters is the only thing that can satisfy it. Hmm…’ Chara grinned. ‘I really enjoyed dusting your brother.’ Papyrus flinched, glancing away, and he heard Chara cackling. ‘Ha, yes… your brother. Poor, sweet, innocent Sans. So gentle and kind. You know, Sans and I, we’re not so different.’_

_Papyrus looked up, glaring._

_‘Sans is nothing like you!’ he hissed, unable to control his anger. ‘He would never do something like this. Never.’_

_Chara smiled._

_‘No? Don’t you remember what I was like the first time I arrived down here?’ Papyrus twitched, and Chara’s smile widened. ‘Of course you do. I was sweet, innocent, gentle, ‘sparing’ every monster I came across, being ‘merciful’.’ Chara snorted. ‘What a joke. All it takes is a little push, and anyone can become a killer. Personally, I didn’t need this…’ Chara indicated at the dark glow at their chest ‘… corruption, or whatever you want to call it. It does make it a lot more fun though.’ They grinned. ‘But Sans… hmm, I wonder what a little_ dark magic _would do to him?’_

_Papyrus went still, his soul thumping painfully in his chest, his eye-lights going out._

_‘No,’ he whispered. ‘Sans wouldn’t… he would never do that.’_

_Chara chuckled._

_‘Oh come now, Papy, don’t be a fool. You know just as well as I do that I haven’t been myself this time… at least, not myself as I’ve been before. Hmm, I must say though, I do quite like this version… I wonder if Sans would like it too? If he would also enjoy the feeling of having someone shatter into dust before his eyes, that sensation of his LOVE increasing—’_

_‘He wouldn’t,’ Papyrus growled, his voice low. ‘You might be some fucked up freak, but my brother would never do that.’_

_Chara just laughed, cold and piercing, biting into Papyrus’ soul._

_‘I guess we’ll just have to find out.’_

_It was the dark, cold shadow emanating from the human’s soul more than anything, that suddenly alerted Papyrus to how close they were suddenly standing. He glanced down at the knife in their hand, eye sockets wide, and barely had time to jump backwards before they slashed out at him, just missing his chest. Purely on instinct, Papyrus conjured up a large blaster, and fired a wave of magic in the human’s direction. But they easily dodged, sliding beneath the bright beam of magic, and swinging out violently again with their blade. Papyrus took a quick short-cut, so that he was standing about thirty feet away from the human. He then reached out with his magic, attempting to turn Chara’s soul blue._

_But it didn’t work._

_Chara grinned, approaching once again, knife ready and poised._

_‘Ha, I guess those little tricks don’t work anymore—didn’t work for Alphys either before I cut her throat.’_

_Papyrus felt sick. His soul felt cold, empty, dark. The closer Chara got, the stronger the feeling grew, and the weaker he felt. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. How was he supposed to defeat such… evil? Such malice. He felt helpless. Even with his powerful karmic magic behind him, it seemed as if the dark corruption emitting from the human’s soul was weakening him somehow, draining him, clouding the light in his own soul. As Chara drew closer, every instinct in Papyrus’ body was screaming at him to run, to fight, to short-cut away, anything—but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to. He just wanted this nightmare to end._

_‘Aw, Paps, you’re taking all the fun out of this.’ Chara pouted as they approached, picking at the end of the knife with their finger._

_‘Just get it over with,’ Papyrus sighed, dropping his hands to his sides, the magic at his fingertips dissipating._

_Chara sighed, dramatically._

_‘Since you asked so nicely, Papy. I’ll do you a favour.’_

_Papyrus closed his eyes._

_Despite having felt it almost a hundred times, nothing could ever prepare him for the pain. He cried out as he felt a deep slash across his ribs, and he crumpled to his knees, clutching his chest. Warm, red blood seeped through his hoodie and onto his fingers, dripping onto the golden tiles below him. He crumpled onto his side, groaning, his hands still holding his ribs._

_‘Honestly Papy,’ Chara tutted, crouching down beside him. ‘It can’t hurt that bad, there’s no need to be such a babybones about a little scratch.’ Chara lifted his hoodie and gave a low whistle. ‘Wow, I got you good this time, didn’t I?’_

_Papyrus scowled, his teeth gritted in pain._

_‘Gah—just let me die in peace, you little brat.’_

_Chara chuckled._

_‘Oh, not just yet, Papy dear. You see, I didn’t finish my story.’_

_‘Ugh, spare me your tales of the ecstasy of murder.’_

_‘Oh, as much as I enjoy recounting my blissful adventures, I had something else in mind.’ Chara smiled, something flashing within their eyes. ‘You seemed a little worried when I told you about my plans for your brother.’_

_Papyrus grimaced—although it was partially to do with the pain in his ribs. A small pool of blood had now appeared on the tiles._

_‘My brother isn’t f—gah—fucked up like you. I don’t need to worry about him becoming a—a killer.’ Papyrus dared a glance down at his ribs, and cringed as he saw the deep gash, slicing right across his chest, red liquid mingled with his orange magic flowing steadily from it._

_‘Hm, yes,’ Chara said, sounding unfazed. ‘I thought you might be a little difficult to convince. So…’ They reached inside the pocket of their shorts, extracting what seemed to be a small vial containing inky black liquid. Papyrus’ vision was beginning to blur, and he could tell that he didn’t have long left. Just a few more minutes and this nightmare would be over. ‘I took it upon myself to attain a small sample of… well, how about I let you see for yourself.’ Chara opened the cap on the vial, and Papyrus immediately felt a cold chill in the air. He stared at the liquid, black and white flashes already appearing before his eyes, telling him that he was losing consciousness. He vaguely saw Chara bringing the vial to the wound at his ribs, before tipping its contents into the gash, the black liquid flowing with the blood, seeping into the cracks in his ribs._

_Papyrus immediately felt a cold, piercing pain shooting through him, clamping down on his soul. He gasped, phalanges scraping against the tiles of the floor. Then, came an ice cold rage, a desire to lash out, to strike something—anything, with all his might. He tried to sit up, but his body was too weak, too fragile. But the burning ice in his soul was telling him that he needed to do something—something to satisfy this frozen, burning rage._

_‘Feels good, doesn’t it?’_

_Papyrus looked up, eye sockets wide and frantic. Chara was smiling down at him, a satisfied look on their face._

_‘Gah—what did you—what did you do to me?’ he gasped, trying to fight against the overwhelming surge of hatred within him._

_‘I didn’t do anything,’ said Chara, sounding blasé. ‘Just gave you a small dosage of magic. It won’t last very long. In fact, you’ll probably be dead before the effects wear off.’_

_‘P-please—I hate it… make it—ah—make it stop.’_

_Papyrus’ entire body felt like it was burning up – but the fire was cold, dark, consuming._

_‘Of course, it’s much better when it’s from the source,’ Chara went on. ‘And technically you’re supposed to inject it directly into the soul but… well you’re going to die soon anyway, but I think you get the point.’_

_‘What—hah—what point?’_

_Chara grinned._

_‘Oh, you’re feeling rather angry aren’t you? Yes, it does start out like that. Ha, boy I almost feel sorry for those moldsmals I ran across in the Ruins.’_

_‘What… what are you—talking about?’_

_Papyrus’ soul felt as if it were being ripped in two. The two sides of him warring against each other. One telling him to jump to his feet and strike Chara down with all his might. The other telling him that any movement would kill him._

_‘Oh Papy, I thought you were smart. Don’t you see?’ Chara lifted up the now-empty vial, remnants of the black liquid still clinging to it. ‘I gave you a little dosage of… darkness, so to speak. It should be in your soul by now. You really want to kill me right now, don’t you?’_

_Papyrus stared up at Chara, eyes wide, the cold burning within him threatening to consume him._

_‘Why would you—ah—why would you want to…’_

_Chara smiled, and ran a hand over Papyrus’ ribs. Papyrus grimaced, and tried to lash out, but the split second he moved, a biting agony shot through him, and he fell back down, hands gingerly resting on his ribs._

_‘Hm, the magic certainly would be a lot more potent if it had come directly from the source.’_

_Papyrus frowned up at Chara, grinding his teeth together._

_‘What—what source?’_

_Chara’s smile widened, and they tapped the small vial they were holding with the tip of their finger._

_‘The source of this magic, of course. You don’t think I conjured this up myself, do you?’ Papyrus regarded Chara with confusion, and they gave a mirthless laugh. ‘Oh, don’t tell me you don’t remember him? I hear he’s an old friend of yours.’ Chara grinned. ‘And boy, does he have big plans for you and your brother.’ Chara laughed again._

_‘P-plans? What—what plans?’_

_Chara shook their head, frowning._

_‘Goodness, Papy, you really are slow today, aren’t you?’_

_Papyrus’ vision was becoming blurred once again. It seemed the effects of the dark, icy magic were wearing off, because the coldness in his soul was beginning to ebb away, leaving him numb. He glanced down at his ribs, and saw that the flow of blood was becoming weaker, his life almost completely drained out. Chara laughed again suddenly, and Papyrus looked up. The dark, deranged human was looking down at him with a slight sneer, a sort of smugness, like they were about to do something they knew would anger him. Wait… Papyrus recognised that look. It was the same look they got right before…_

_‘Sans,’ he breathed. ‘You… you’re going to… you’re going to do this… to Sans.’_

_Chara laughed, the sound echoing through the hall. Papyrus’ eye sockets fell closed, and he felt himself losing consciousness, until all he could hear was cold laughter, all around him._

_‘It looks like your time is about to run out, Papy…’_

_‘No, please… don’t… not Sans… please…’_

_‘I’ll see you soon, Papyrus.’_

Papyrus woke up, gasping. He barely managed to short-cut himself into the bathroom, before he was retching over the sink, losing much of the little magic he had left in him. He leaned against the basin edge, gasping, and stared at himself in the mirror.

He was alive, if not a little pale. He frantically lifted up his hoodie, and stared down at his ribs. There was nothing there but a faint scar, left by Edge’s healing. Papyrus splashed his face with water, as if to try and wash away the cold memories. The human’s words, the pain of his wound, the feeling of that dark magic, corrupting him, trying to tear at the light in his soul. Papyrus looked down to see that his hands were shaking. He suddenly jumped as the bathroom door flew open, revealing Edge. His eye-lights were wide and frantic, and he stared at Papyrus in distress.

“Papyrus…”

Papyrus stared at Edge, feeling tears brimming at his eye sockets. Edge’s expression was one of utter pity. His eyes were sorrowful, and he was frowning slightly, as if he knew exactly what was wearing on Papyrus’ soul.

“E-Edge…” Papyrus’ voice shook, and he felt a painful sob rising in his chest. “Edge, I can’t—I can’t…”

“Papyrus…” Edge was shaking his head, and there was a helpless look on his face. He rushed over to Papyrus, and threw his arms around him, pulling him against his chest. “Papyrus, I’m so sorry.”

Papyrus whimpered against him, the burning tears flowing down his cheek bones, his head buried against Edge’s shoulder as he cried.

“I can’t p-protect him, Edge…” Papyrus’ breaths came in shuddering gasps as he gripped onto Edge, the feeling of the other skeleton’s arms around him bringing a sense of warmth back into his soul. But nothing could prevent the deep pit of despair that seemed to engulf his entire body. “He—he killed someone, Edge… he—he—” Papyrus broke off with a gasp, a fresh wave of uncontrollable sobs escaping him.

“Come,” said Edge, softly, after a few moments. “Let’s go back to bed.” He gently guided Papyrus out of the bathroom, and down the corridor. He closed his bedroom door once they were inside, and sat down beside Papyrus on the bed. “Papyrus… I think we need to talk.” Papyrus looked up at Edge in surprise, tears still streaming down his face.

“T-talk? About what?” Papyrus attempted to wipe away his tears with the back of his sleeve, but only succeeded in smearing the magic across his cheek bones.

Edge sighed, looking somber.

“Papyrus, your brother was in here earlier.”

Papyrus’ eyes went wide.

“I-is he okay? Was he upset? O-or did he seem… E-Edge, did he…”

“Papyrus, let me finish.” Edge’s voice was surprisingly stern, and Papyrus flinched slightly, falling silent. “And he’s fine.” Edge sighed. “He was a bit torn up about dusting that monster but… Red and I spoke to him, and he’s going to okay.”

Papyrus frowned.

“You s-spoke to him? What… did you say?”

Edge held Papyrus’ gaze for a moment before speaking.

“We told him that we wouldn’t hold what he did against him—that _you_ wouldn’t hold it against him.” Edge gave Papyrus a very deliberate look, before continuing. “We told him that it was okay, that it wasn’t his fault.”

Papyrus’ frown deepened.

“But—but it’s not okay, Edge. He—he killed someone! He gained LOVE, that’s—that’s not okay.”

Edge narrowed his eye sockets.

“He saved your life, Papyrus. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“Well—of c-course it does! But—but Edge, he… he k-killed another monster…” Papyrus’ voice suddenly went very quiet, and he felt the familiar feeling of despair returning to his soul. Edge’s expression was still dark, even slightly irritated.

“Yes, he did kill that monster. But he did it _to save you._ How can you hold that against him? Is he supposed to feel guilty for saving his own brother’s life?”

“N-no! But—but he should feel guilty for—for _killing_ s-someone! It’s… he shouldn’t… it’s not…” Papyrus couldn’t seem to find the right words, and he suddenly felt an uncomfortable clenching in his soul. He couldn’t tell Edge that killing without remorse made Sans no better than Chara—than their dark magic.

“Papyrus, your brother—”

“I… I don’t want him to feel guilty,” Papyrus said, his voice barely a whisper. “I—d-don’t want Sans to… to suffer…” Papyrus broke off, suddenly feeling the tears returning to his eye sockets. “B-but if he f-feels absolutely no r-remorse, then… then he’s… he…” He’s no better than a corrupted soul, Papyrus wanted to say. But he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t tell Edge that he knew about the corrupted monsters – that he’d seen them before. Because that would undoubtedly open the door to a whole new conversation—a conversation about the human, and resets. And he couldn’t put that on Edge – or Sans. So instead, he broke off, choking slightly on his words. Edge looked exasperated.

“Papyrus, I don’t think you understand why Sans did what he did. Of course it was to save you. _Of course_ he was protecting you. But do you know what he told us?” Edge’s expression was grim, and steely. “He told us that he was sick of people thinking he was weak. That he wasn’t strong enough to protect _you.”_

Papyrus looked up, the tears still flowing down his cheek bones.

“He… he thought… why would he think…?”

“Papyrus, I don’t think you understand how it feels for Sans—to be told that he’s too weak, too small and pathetic to be able to protect his own brother.”

Papyrus stared at Edge for a few moments, utterly bewildered.

“That… _that’s_ why he… killed…”

“He wanted to prove that he could protect you, Papyrus. Your brother is… he’s not weak.”

Papyrus frowned, attempting, once again, to wipe away his tears.

“I… I know he isn’t…”

“Papyrus, Sans loves you. And I know you love him too, and would do anything for him. But I don’t think you understand what it’s like to constantly be told that you’re too pathetic – too small and weak to defend the person you love.”

Papyrus held Edge’s gaze for a few moments, something suddenly stirring in his soul. A memory – a horrible memory. Multiple memories, in fact, of his past. Something he never spoke about – something he didn’t wish to speak about. But right now, in this moment, he understood. He understood completely why Sans had done what he had done.

And that was the worst part. Papyrus had never wanted Sans to feel that way—the same way he’d felt all those years ago. Trapped, alone, small, helpless. He stared at Edge for a few seconds, and then, he laughed. The sound came out cold, dry, humourless. Edge seemed taken aback, his eye sockets widening.

“You—you don’t think I know how it feels to be told how pathetic you are?” Papyrus choked, between his own empty laughter, and the sobs which threatened to rise once again. “How small and weak… to—to feel so helpless and alone when someone is trying to hurt my brother?” Papyrus scoffed, even through his tears. “You have absolutely no idea, Edge.”

Edge frowned, regarding Papyrus with a firm expression.

“How could you possibly know?” he questioned. “You’ve always been the older brother—no one has ever doubted your ability to look after Sans.”

“Yeah, I’ve done a real bang up job, haven’t I?” Papyrus said, sarcastically. “You don’t know everything about my past, Edge.”

“I know that you don’t know what it’s like to have to kill someone to protect your brother,” Edge spat. “You have _no_ idea.”

Papyrus stared at Edge for a few seconds, a hot rage building in his soul.

“Oh, don’t I?”

Edge threw up his hands in exasperation.

“How could you, Papyrus? You’ve never had to kill anyone.”

“Yes I have.” Papyrus’ voice had suddenly gone quiet, and he regretted the words the moment they’d left his mouth.

Edge went still, staring at him in shock.

“What?”

“I—it doesn’t matter.” Papyrus looked away. He hadn’t meant to open this door; he didn’t want to talk about this.

But Edge seemed undeterred.

“Papyrus, what do you mean ‘you have’? Are you saying that you’ve… killed—”

“It was to protect Sans,” Papyrus confessed. “But it was a long time ago, so it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to discuss this anymore.”

“But Papyrus—”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Papyrus snapped, feeling a spark of magic emitting from his left eye socket. Edge looked taken aback for a moment, but then he frowned.

“But… your LOVE…”

“Doesn’t increase,” Papyrus reminded him, sighing. “Look, Edge, can we please not—”

“Papyrus, how have you kept this from me? For—for so long? And with all your—your preaching about not killing? Not gaining LOVE? _How_ have you kept this a secret?”

_“I said, drop it.”_

Papyrus was giving Edge a cold stare, and Edge flinched slightly under his gaze. He looked back at Papyrus for a few moments, before sighing.

“Okay, alright, so… if you have killed someone then… then surely you understand what it’s like?” Edge looked up at Papyrus, holding his gaze. “Surely you understand that—that there’s no other choice when it comes to your brother’s life, and your own conscience.”

Papyrus frowned, looking away.

“I know,” he said, quietly. “I know that there was never really any choice – that if I could go back, I’d do it again, because no matter what—Sans comes first. But…” Papyrus took a deep, shuddering breath, “but that’s exactly why this pains me so much. Because I know how it feels, Edge. _I know_ what it’s like to have the guilt consume you, every day of your life. I—I know how… how good Sans is… how much he cares, and… and I don’t want to see this ripping him apart…” Papyrus trailed off, a sob escaping him. He wiped at the tears on his cheek bones, angrily. He was so sick of crying. Suddenly, Edge brought an arm around him, and pulled Papyrus against his chest. Papyrus buried his head against Edge, tears falling. He didn’t want to talk about this anymore. He didn’t want to think about it—to think about his nightmare, or the fact that Sans had killed someone today. He just wanted Edge to hold him.

“E-Edge, I can’t…”

“Hey, it’s okay love, I’ve got you.”

Papyrus looked up at Edge, his brow bone slightly raised.

“Did—did you j-just call me… love?” he asked, between sobs. Edge frowned.

“No.”

“Uh, yes—you d-did.”

Edge looked annoyed all of a sudden.

“Well—well maybe I thought it sounded nice—or cute, or whatever.” Edge huffed, pulling Papyrus closer to him, but looking away with a glare. “Stupid asshole.” Papyrus laughed softly, hiccoughing slightly.

“That’s m-more like it. But…” He paused. “But you c-can call me love, t-too.”

Edge looked at him, a small smile on his face.

“No, I think asshole suits you better.” Papyrus shoved Edge slightly, earning him a soft chuckle. After a few moments, Edge sighed. “Look, Papyrus, Sans is a good person—you know that, I know that. He really has a decent soul. But, maybe…” Edge hesitated, taking a deep breath. “Maybe you shouldn’t hold him to such high standards. It’s not fair on him. And what he did… he really did out of the goodness of his heart. He’s not a killer, Papyrus. He was just thrown into a difficult situation. Well… not so difficult. I think at the end of the day, it was an easy choice. But Sans isn’t a bad person—a little LOVE doesn’t change that.”

Papyrus nodded, but looked away from Edge. He wasn’t about to tell him that Sans’ conscience wasn’t the only reason he was worried about his brother gaining a killing streak. He thought back to Chara’s words, and a chill ran through him. If Chara and… whoever they’d been working with, had wanted to… use dark magic on Sans’ soul, and the monsters they’d encountered earlier had been what Papyrus thought they were, then… Then that begged the question – why were they here? Why, of all places, had their course been diverted to this universe—to Underfell?

“Papyrus…”

Edge’s voice interrupted Papyrus’ thoughts, and he looked up.

“Yeah?”

“I know that you… you said… you didn’t want to talk about it, but…” Edge paused, looking uncomfortable. “Who was the person you killed?”

Papyrus frowned, his soul suddenly twisting in his chest.

“I, um… it… it doesn’t matter. Not anyone you’d know.” Papyrus turned over, facing away from Edge. “It’s not like anyone remembers anyway,” he murmured, mostly to himself. He felt Edge wrap his arms around him, pressing their bodies together, his head nuzzled against Papyrus’ neck.

“Okay.”

Papyrus was grateful that Edge had let the topic drop. He closed his eyes, focusing on the warm feeling of Edge against him, and trying to forget everything else.

“Edge?” he whispered.

“Yes?” Edge’s voice sounded tired.

Papyrus took a deep breath.

“Was… was Sans okay? Was he… different?”

There were a few moments of silence, and for a second, Papyrus wondered if Edge had fallen asleep. But then, he felt him snuggling closer, pressing his head against Papyrus’ shoulder.

“Killing someone does change you, Papyrus, and there’s no going back from that.” Papyrus’ soul clenched in his chest. “But he’s going to be okay. You’re alive.”

Papyrus relaxed in Edge’s arms. After a few minutes, Edge’s breathing became deep and even, and Papyrus closed his eyes once again. There were still many doubts floating around in his mind – such as the strange, feral monsters they’d seen yesterday. And the way the King’s soul had been black… just like Chara’s. But Papyrus pushed them aside. Right now, he was okay. Sans was okay. There might be a hundred tiny things, plaguing his mind right now, but for five minutes, he just wanted to feel safe.

And, for the moment, here, in Edge’s arms – he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I'm too happy with how this chapter turned out, but I didn't want to spend too much time worrying about the small details because it's been so long since I've posted D:  
> But I hope it wasn't too bad!


	55. Chapter 55

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a bit shorter!   
> Sadly, I'm still very busy so it might only be one chapter a week for a little while.  
> But thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this one! xx

“Boss, have you heard from Undyne?”

Edge looked up from his mug of coffee.

“No, I haven’t checked my messages. Why? Have we somehow angered her again?”

Edge was sitting at the kitchen table, and Red had just entered. It was about six o’clock in the morning, so neither Sans nor Papyrus were awake yet. Red had a troubled expression on his face, and Edge frowned.

“Boss…”

“What is it, brother?”

Red looked down at his phone, which was clasped in his hand.

“Boss, Alphys just called. And…”

_“And?_ Spit it out, Red.”

Red sighed, frowning.

“Boss, Undyne’s hurt.”

Edge’s soul dropped.

“She—she’s hurt? How…?”

“It happened yesterday, when we were visiting the King. Remember how she got called out? Because of that disruption at the Core…?”

Edge went stiff, staring at Red.

“No… what—what happened? Is she…?”

“She’s going to be fine, Boss,” Red assured him, and Edge breathed a sigh of relief. “But she’s on bedrest—doctor’s orders.”

“I doubt she’s too happy about that,” Edge commented. Red shook his head.

“Nah, doesn’t sound like it. Alphys just told me that Undyne wanted you to call her.”

Edge grimaced.

“I can’t imagine that will be too pleasant.”

“Nope,” Red agreed. “Anyway, I’m gonna head to sentry duty, so I’ll see ya later.”

Edge looked up in surprise.

“You’re actually going?”

Red shrugged.

“Why not? I just need to do something normal for a change, Boss.”

Edge frowned, looking at Red. He seemed tired, beyond sleep. There were dark rings underneath his eye sockets, and his shoulders were slightly slumped.

“You don’t want to stay at home and comfort Blue?” Edge asked, raising his brow bone. Red gave a wave of his hand.

“Eh, he’ll be fine. He has his bro. Plus…” Red looked embarrassed for a moment, his cheeks flushing slightly. He glanced away from Edge. “He, uh… just came out of his first heat, so…”

Edge’s eyes went wide, and he smirked slightly.

“Your doing, I assume?”

Red glared.

“Shut up. You know what a first heat is like… he—he needed me! I had to!”

“And I’m sure you hated every minute of it.” Edge rose from his seat, still smirking at the way his brother was blushing profusely. “Well, I’m going to go call Undyne. Return to your sentry duty if it’s what you want…” Edge paused for a moment, considering. “But, if you’re not going to be home, then I’m going to take a day off work.”

Red’s eye socket went wide. He stared at Edge, his mouth dropping open slightly.

“B-but Boss—you never take days off… and—and… _why?_ I mean… why would you—”

“Come now, brother, don’t be a fool.” Edge frowned at Red. “You saw the King yesterday. Is it not clear to you now?”

Red frowned, still looking confused.

“Is… what clear?”

Edge sighed.

“Sans, his soul was black – and you felt the energy in that room, that cold darkness. Not to mention, we found where all the corrupted monster have gotten to—he’s been hiding them in his cellar.” Edge frowned. “Not very well, mind you. It’s no wonder they all keep escaping to the Core.”

Red’s eyes went wide.

“So… wait. You think Asgore is behind this—this monster corruption stuff?”

“Absolutely,” Edge said, nodding.

“But—how is he doing it?” Red asked, seeming perplexed. “How is he even corrupting them?”

Edge shook his head, sighing.

“I have no idea,” he admitted. “He is rather powerful though, so… who can say?” There was a moment of silence, then something else suddenly occurred to Edge. “There’s something else that is still troubling me, brother. How did he know Sans and Papyrus’ real names? Not even Undyne knows that information.”

Red looked tense, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

“I… don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “And he said… he said he knew that—that they weren’t from this world.”

Edge scowled.

“It’s like Undyne says—it always feel like we’re somehow eleven steps behind. We finally found the source of the corruption, but now, they have another leg-up on us.”

“Boss.” Red’s voice was quiet. “The King said… he had them—Blue and Papyrus—‘where he wanted them… what do you think he meant?”

Edge felt the very familiar sense of dread creeping up his spine. He shuddered slightly, remembering the King’s cold, empty voice.

“I wish I knew,” he said, quietly. They stood in silence for a few moments, Edge trying to contemplate the information before them. It seemed obvious now why the King had been so cagey these past few months. If he’d had something to hide… But that still didn’t explain _how_ he was doing it. Not to mention… how he knew the truth about Sans and Papyrus. There was something else rather strange that was bothering Edge as well. The King’s throne room was normally a field of flowers – and light. He’d been there once before, many years ago, and what had struck him the most about it had been how… golden it had been. The flowers, the brilliantly polished tiles, the light streaming in through the windows. But yesterday it had been so… dead. Darkness shrouding the room, the flowers all withered. The air itself had felt stagnant, close. Not to mention how cold it had been. And Edge still couldn’t understand why the King hadn’t pursued them. He’d had Sans and Papyrus – right there in his grasp. But he had refused to step out of the shadows. Why was that? Red sighed, breaking Edge out of his reverie.

“Well, I’m gonna head off. Later, Boss.”

Edge nodded.

“Take care of yourself, brother.”

Once Red had gone, Edge made his way into the living room, and sat down on the couch. He breathed, taking out his cell phone, and dialling Undyne’s number. It only rang once before she picked up.

“Captain—”

“Hey, punk, I need to talk to you.”

Edge frowned. Undyne sounded tired, her voice lacking much of its usual bite.

“Undyne, are you alright? How badly are you hurt?”

“Ugh, Edge, let’s not talk about me. I’m sick of hearing how I’ve gotta stay in bed all day to fucking _get better_ or whatever bullshit Alphys came up with to stop be from getting out and smashing some heads together.” Edge paused.

“Um, okay…”

“Look, I heard about what happened with the King.”

Edge went stiff.

“You… you did?”

“Yup. And I need to talk to you—get over here as soon as you can. And bring Blue and Stretch.”

Edge narrowed his eye sockets, a sliver of suspicion creeping into his soul.

“Why do they need to come? They’re not—”

“They’re a very big part of this, Edge,” Undyne said, firmly. “Bring them.”

Edge hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

“Understood, Captain.”

“See you soon, punk.”

Edge sat on the couch, staring at his phone screen after Undyne had hung up. Why would she want to see Sans and Papyrus? Unless this had something to do with… Blue gaining LOVE. Edge frowned, shoving his phone back in his pocket, and rising to his feet. Well, at least she wasn’t in any shape to fight him on the matter should things become… unsavoury. He just wasn’t in the mood this morning.

 

****

 

“Papyrus, I need to speak with you.”

Edge was sitting on the sofa, and Papyrus had just started walking down the stairs. Edge glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was only half-past seven—unusually early for Papyrus to be up. Edge noted that he still looked exhausted, dark rings under his eye sockets, his eye-lights dim. He wondered if he’d even slept at all. Papyrus paused for a moment, observing Edge with an unreadable expression, then nodded, and came to sit beside him on the sofa.

“What’s up?”

“Papyrus, Undyne wants to see us today.”

Papyrus raised his brow bone.

“Us? As in…?”

“Myself—and you and Blue.”

Papyrus’ expression darkened.

“Blue…” he repeated, tensely. “Edge, what if she wants him to… to gain more LOVE, now that he…”

Edge frowned.

“I know,” he said, quietly. “But… I don’t think it’s that. I mean, there is a possibility, but… even if that were the reason, she’s hurt right now—apparently she can’t get out of bed, so there’s nothing she can do to force him. But also…” Edge went pensive for a moment, thinking. “She seemed… worried. And she mentioned the King—she knows what happened yesterday.”

Papyrus still didn’t look reassured. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch, averting his eyes.

“Edge, I don’t know…”

“Just… think of it this way,” Edge interrupted. “Undyne hates the King. I mean, she’s never been particularly fond of him, but these past few months… let’s just say she trusts him about as much as we do. So whatever she has to say about what happened yesterday—well, she’s going to be on our side.”

Papyrus nodded, sighing.

“I hope you’re right. Because, to be honest, I’m getting really tired of this. It just feels like… like we have enemies everywhere. Like we can’t trust anyone.” Papyrus took a deep breath. “And you know what? I’m really fucking over it.”

Edge smiled, wryly.

“Welcome to my world, love.”

Papyrus smiled at the nickname.

“What happened to asshole?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll probably piss me off sometime within the next ten minutes, then I’ll get to use it again.”

Papyrus chuckled, leaning his head against Edge’s chest.

“Heh, I’ll try my best. You’re pretty hot when you’re pissed off.”

“Thanks, asshole.”

“You’re welcome.”

Edge put his arm around Papyrus, and let him lie there for a few minutes. It was nice, having Papyrus close to him like this. Soul bond aside – it always made him feel safe, even though technically he was the one protecting Papyrus. But when Papyrus was close to him, he felt assured, comfortable, secure. It was like he could finally relax, and let his problems be forgotten. Only…

“Papyrus,” he said after a few moments, sighing. Papyrus looked up.

“What is it?”

“I’m sure you remember those… creatures, from yesterday.”

Papyrus looked away, nodding.

“Yeah, I do recall.”

“Well,” Edge took a deep breath, “I’m sure you’d like some explanation. I—I’m surprised you didn’t bring it up sooner. I imagine you’re… pretty pissed at me for keeping it from you.”

Then, to Edge’s surprise, Papyrus shook his head.

“Not really,” he said, shrugging. “Well, maybe just a little, but… I—I’d rather not think about it right now.”

Edge felt a little taken aback. He had been expecting at least a ten minute lecture about how hypocritical he was for keeping secrets from Papyrus when _he_ was the one always preaching about not lying in this household.

“You… don’t want to give me a lecture?”

Papyrus gave him a weary smile.

“Edge, if there was a lecture every time someone told a lie in this household, we might as well turn it into a community college.”

“Well,” Edge leaned his chin on the top of Papyrus’ skull, running his hand gently over his back, “I suppose the ‘no secrets’ rule is a bit far-fetched. I don’t expect you to tell me every little detail about yourself.” Edge hesitated, thinking. “Although… I must admit, that ‘I’ve killed someone’ thing did come as a bit of a shock.” Papyrus flinched slightly. Edge lifted him to eye level, and held his gaze. “But you know, if there’s anything you ever need to tell me… I’m here for you, okay? I’ll listen.” Papyrus stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. His eyes were wide, and something seemed to flicker deep within them. Edge frowned slightly. “Papyrus, are you—”

“E-Edge, there’s something I need to tell—”

“Papy?”

Edge and Papyrus looked up. Sans was standing at the top of the stairs, still looking sleepy. Papyrus immediately pulled away from Edge, staring up at Sans, his eyes wide.

“S-Sans…”

Before either of them could react, Sans was rushing down the stairs, and throwing himself into Papyrus’ arms. He was sobbing, and Edge felt his soul throb.

“P-Papy, I’m so s-sorry!” he wept. His face was pressed into Papyrus’ shoulder, and Edge could see tears flowing down his cheeks. “I know th-that you didn’t want me to—to be a—a—”

“No, Sans,” Papyrus whispered, his voice soft and soothing. “Don’t say that… you—you saved my life… I owe you—everything.” Edge could hear a crack in Papyrus’ voice, his own stability wavering.

“B-but I—I’m a m-murde—”

“You’re not.” Papyrus’ voice was firm now, determined. “Don’t you ever say that, Sans. Don’t you dare. I—I don’t care if you… you have a little LOVE. Because no matter how much LOVE you gain, I know that—that you’ll still have love.”

At this, Sans pulled away, staring at Papyrus indignantly.

“P-Papy! Now is n-not the time for—for puns!” Sans appeared to be trying to sound annoyed, but there were still tears running down his cheek bones, and his voice stuttered slightly. Papyrus chuckled.

“I’m sorry, bro. I just _love_ you so much.”

Sans glared, and turned to Edge.

“Why do you put up with him?”

Edge shrugged, shaking his head.

“Honestly, I don’t know. He’s not even that good in bed.”

This earned Edge a scoff from Papyrus.

“What? Yes I am!”

Edge smirked.

“So, would you say you’re good at… making _love?”_

Both Sans and Papyrus stared at Edge for a few moments, before Sans groaned, and Papyrus broke into a fit of giggles.

“Ugh! Edge, I thought you were on my side!” Sans huffed, pouting.

“Oh, Edgy,” Papyrus laughed, “I _love_ it when you blind-side me like that. Sweeps me right off my feet.”

Edge grunted.

“Hm. Don’t get used to it.” He rose from his spot on the couch, and began making his way towards the stairs. “I’m going to go get ready for our meeting with Undyne.”

At this, Sans looked up in surprise.

“Undyne? Why… what meeting?” He sounded worried, and Papyrus put his arm around him.

“I don’t think it’s anything we need to worry about,” Edge assured. “But… she was hurt yesterday.” Sans’ eye sockets went wide.

“H-hurt? Is she—”

“She’s fine, there’s no need to worry,” Edge said, quickly. “Still… I am not certain as to the nature of this meeting. And I do find it strange that she wants to see… both of you.”

Papyrus frowned.

“Let’s not forget what happened the last time someone wanted to meet me and Sans,” he reminded them.

“Undyne is not the King,” Edge said, shaking his head. “We can trust her.”

“I hope you’re right,” Papyrus said, dryly.

“Well, I’m going to get ready,” Edge stated, beginning his ascent of the stairs. He then paused for a moment, turning. “Oh, Papyrus—what was it that you were going to tell me before?”

To his surprise, Papyrus glanced away.

“Oh, it was nothing. It… it doesn’t matter.”

Edge hesitated, frowning. Papyrus’ expression was unreadable. After a few moments, he sighed, nodding, and turned.

“Very well. I’ll see you both down here in half an hour – I don’t want to keep Undyne waiting. She is our ally in this.” Edge began walking back up the stairs. “I’m almost sure of it,” he murmured, mostly to himself.


	56. Chapter 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst and.... fishy business. ¬‿¬

Papyrus hovered uncomfortably behind Edge as the harsher skeleton knocked on Undyne’s front door. This scenario was all too familiar—it hadn’t even been a day since they’d been standing like this in front of the King’s throne room. Papyrus shivered slightly at the memory. Beside him, Sans was standing poised and ready. This comforted Papyrus slightly – at least Sans wasn’t nervous. After about a minute of waiting, Edge knocked again.

“Captain?” he called. On the other side of the door, Papyrus heard a muffled voice. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Undyne. She was wearing a purple dressing gown, and she was hunched over slightly, a hand resting on her torso.

“I heard you, I heard you,” she grumbled, letting them in. Edge marched past her and into the house, Sans and Papyrus following. Once they were inside, Undyne shut the door, and staggered over to the couch, where she flopped down, groaning slightly as she did so. Edge observed her, frowning.

“I thought you were meant to be in bed?” he queried. Undyne regarded him with a glare.

“Bed? Couch? What’s the difference? I can already barely walk – at least let me lie where I fucking please, asshole. And sit the fuck down.”

Sans and Papyrus hurriedly took their seats on the sofa across from Undyne’s, while Edge sat on the armchair. Papyrus had almost forgotten how grumpy this Undyne was. There were a few moments of stilted silence, in which Undyne took a sip from her mug before returning it to the table beside the sofa. Once she was done, Edge cleared his throat.

“Undyne, what happened yesterday? How did you get hurt?” Edge’s eyes flickered to Sans and Papyrus for a second, but his focus remained on Undyne, who gave a blasé wave of her hand.

“Ngah, nothing to worry about. Let’s just say the Canine Unit isn’t as good as you are at _having their partner’s back.”_ Undyne scowled bitterly.

“Was anyone else hurt?” Edge asked, glancing over Undyne with concern. “What about Mettaton? Was he—”

“Ngah, your _boyfriend_ is fine, Edge,” Undyne said, scowling. Edge’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Papyrus. “Actually,” Undyne continued, “he was the one who saved me from… getting _too_ hurt.” Undyne sounded bitter, and Edge raised his brow bone.

“He helped you?”

Undyne scowled.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever! It’s not a big deal.”

Edge frowned for a moment, but then sighed.

“Alright. So Captain, why did you wish to see me? You mentioned… what happened with the King, but…”

“Actually, Edge, I didn’t need to see you—I needed to see them.” Undyne indicated Sans and Papyrus. “I didn’t have to invite you.”

Edge narrowed his eye sockets.

“Well, I would have come, regardless.”

Undyne rolled her good eye.

“That’s why invited you, over-protective idiot.”

Edge stiffened, but didn’t say anything.

“S-so Captain Undyne, why did you want to see my brother and me?” Sans asked, nervously, fidgeting with his bandana. Undyne turned to regard him, her expression unreadable. There were a few moments of charged silence, before Undyne spoke.

“So I see you changed your mind about gaining LOVE? That’s good to see.”

Beside him, Papyrus felt Sans go tense. He felt a flare of anger rising up in his soul.

“He didn’t change his mind!” Papyrus snapped, and Undyne looked at him with an apathetic expression.

“That’s not what it looks like to me,” she said, coolly, and Papyrus glared.

“So is that what you wanted to discuss?” Edge interjected. “The status of Sans’ LOVE? In front of his brother, no less.” Edge’s voice was calm, and Papyrus could tell that he was trying to draw Undyne away from the topic. It seemed to work.

“No, actually,” Undyne said. “I wanted to discuss our case with them.”

This seemed to draw a reaction from Edge, because he tensed, frowning.

“The case?” he asked, voice growing stiff. “Why?”

Undyne shrugged.

“Well, given what they saw yesterday, I’d say they know just about as much as we do now.”

Edge’s expression darkened.

“Not everything,” he murmured, and Papyrus frowned. Was Edge hiding something? Undyne seemed unfazed by Edge’s sudden apprehension, because she gave a nonchalant wave of her hand.

“Eh, whatever, so we tell them. Point is, they could help us.”

“Undyne, they don’t need to go anywhere near this,” Edge said, starting to sound anxious. “It’s—it’s dangerous, and I mean—look at you. You’ve already been hurt dealing with this, I don’t want to put them in harm’s way.”

Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

“Thanks for the concern, Edgy,” he said, sardonically, and Edge’s focus snapped to him, his eyes narrowed. “But apparently we’re in danger no matter where we go, so there’s no point keeping us in the dark.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. _Stay out of this,”_ Edge hissed, and Papyrus flinched slightly.

“You know he has a point, Edge,” Undyne said. “And if those two Levels of Violence are anything to go by, Blue can more than take care of himself.” Undyne gave Sans a deliberate look, and Papyrus felt him shift uncomfortably by his side. He inadvertently shuffled closer to his brother.

“So, what exactly is this ‘case’?” Papyrus asked, regarding Undyne. “I assume it has something to do with those… feral monsters we ran into?”

“Boy, nothing gets past you, does it, genius?”

Papyrus rolled his eye-lights.

“Well, judging by the way about fifty of them were locked up in cages, and another dozen were running around the castle – it seems like plenty gets past you.”

Undyne scowled.

“Unfortunately, that’s the way it’s been,” she said, bitterly. “And what pisses me off the most is that the King was behind it the whole time.”

Papyrus frowned, an uncomfortable lurch in his soul.

“You think the King is the one… turning these monsters into… whatever they are?”

Undyne shrugged.

“Makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, the guy’s been cagey for months – why else would he be unless he had something to hide… like a bunch of corrupted monsters in his storage room? Not to mention, his soul was black – at least, that’s what Red told Alphys on the phone. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not,” said Edge. Papyrus glanced up at him. He was looking… worried, his expression taut. Papyrus frowned. While he could understand why Edge and Undyne might come to the conclusion that the King was behind this… corruption, it didn’t really make sense from where he was standing. They didn’t know about the human from his universe… and the fact that they’d been corrupted too. Papyrus thought for a moment. Chara had mentioned someone being ‘the source’ of the dark magic in their soul. Could they have been talking about King Asgore? But how would Chara have come into contact with the King from the Underfell universe? It didn’t make sense.

Now more than ever, Papyrus felt an undeniable urge to tell Edge the truth – about resets, about the human, everything he’d seen before arriving here. At this point, he didn’t really see the point in keeping it from him. But… Papyrus glanced at Sans, who was sitting at his side, his shoulders slightly slumped. He couldn’t tell Sans. Not after everything he’d been through. It would break him. Papyrus knew Sans was capable of handling more than he seemed to be, but he’d just been through one of the worst experiences of his life. It would be unfair for Papyrus to burden him with the knowledge of resets… and his own repeated death.

“Right,” Undyne nodded, and Papyrus snapped out of his reverie, forcing himself to remain composed. “All the evidence pretty much points to Asgore. I guess it makes sense now why he let us use his basement – he must have wanted to keep an eye on…” Undyne trailed off, and Papyrus saw that Edge was giving her a very deliberate shake of his head. He frowned, glancing between them.

“Keep an eye on… what?” he asked, suspiciously. Both Undyne and Edge looked at him. Edge’s expression was guarded, his eye sockets narrowed. Undyne cleared her throat.

“It’s just—”

“Just an experiment Doctor Alphys is working on.” Edge interrupted Undyne, and she shot him a quizzical look. Edge gave her a deliberate look, shaking his head slightly.

“Yeah, you two don’t look like you’re hiding anything,” Papyrus said, sarcastically, rolling his eye-lights. “So much for the no secrets rule, yeah Edge?”

“Papy,” Sans whispered, giving Papyrus’ hand a squeeze. Papyrus scowled at Edge, before leaning back on the sofa, huffing.

“Pap—Stretch, it’s…”

“It’s a secret experiment,” Undyne interjected. “Alphys’ work is very… sensitive, at times. So it has to be kept under the radar.”

Papyrus held Edge’s gaze for a couple more seconds, before glancing away, glowering.

“Right, whatever.”

He opted to stare at the floor, refusing to look at Edge, although he could feel the other skeleton’s eye-lights on him.

“So, what are these… corrupted monsters?” Sans asked, speaking up. “I-I mean I did notice something wrong with… their souls.” Sans’ voice went quiet, and Papyrus wondered if he was remembering the monster he had dusted. The way its darkened soul had shattered before his eyes. Papyrus gave Sans’ hand a gentle squeeze, and he felt Sans relax slightly at his side.

“As it happens, we’re still not entirely sure,” Undyne said, grimacing. “It started a few months ago—”

“Wait a minute,” Papyrus interrupted, looking up. _“A few months?”_ He stared at Edge. “You’ve been keeping this from me—from both of us, since we—for _months?”_ Papyrus stopped himself from saying ‘since we arrived’, but still held Edge with a cold glare. “Are you kidding me, Edge?”

Edge sighed, looking frustrated.

“Look, P—Stretch, the case was completely confidential. No one outside of the Royal Guard had any knowledge of the existence of these creatures – at least, not intentionally.”

Papyrus raised his brow bone.

“So you’re telling me that Red doesn’t know?” Edge immediately fell silent, and Undyne looked uncomfortable. “Terrific,” Papyrus scathed, sighing. “Anything else I should know, Edge?”

“Red’s my brother, it’s not—”

“Yeah? And what am I?”

Edge held Papyrus’ gaze, his expression unreadable. Eventually Papyrus sighed, looking away, crossing his arms across his chest.

“So, um… Undyne,” Sans said, sounding apprehensive. “What were you saying about the—the corrupted… the, um, monsters?” Sans fidgeted nervously with his bandana. Undyne paused for a moment, glancing between Edge and Papyrus, before turning to face Sans.

“Well, you probably saw that there was something wrong with their souls,” she said. “It started out as just… feral monsters. They were going savage and appearing all over the Core. And they were killing—a lot.” Undyne sighed, looking pensive. “It was pretty awful shit. And there were disappearances too. We found out later that the monsters that were disappearing were being corrupted. And they started… evolving – getting darker. Their souls became more… well, you saw what they were like. Sort of cold, and empty.” Undyne looked grave.

“And… do they… feel pain?”

Everyone went quiet, looking at Sans uneasily. His eye-lights were wide, an almost tormented expression on his face, and Papyrus felt his soul ache. Of course Sans would want to know if they felt pain – he had killed one of them after all. He ran a comforting hand over Sans’ shoulder, but he remained tense, his gaze fixed on Undyne.

“Well, they…” Undyne looked uncomfortable. “We assume so.” Papyrus watched in despair as Sans’ face fell, his expression growing more twisted. “I mean, judging by the way the one we have has been acting,” Undyne added, seemingly mostly to herself. Papyrus looked up, frowning.

“The one you… have?” He narrowed his eye sockets. “You _have_ one of these creatures… in your custody?”

Edge looked up at Papyrus suddenly, his eye sockets widening. He then glanced at Undyne, with whom he exchanged a frantic look. Undyne looked back at Papyrus, clearing her throat.

“We, um… do have one of these creatures… under observation, yes.”

Papyrus stared at Edge.

“The list keeps piling up, doesn’t it Edge? When were you planning on telling me about _this_ one?”

“Papyrus,” Edge said, quietly, “it isn’t important. It’s not—”

_“Isn’t important?”_ Papyrus stared at Edge, seething. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re literally—you’ve literally imprisoned a living monster! What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Papyrus, I—I was going to tell you—”

“Oh really? When?” Out of the corner of his eye, Papyrus saw Sans staring at Undyne, his eye sockets wide, but he didn’t pay it much heed, all his attention focused on Edge. “When were you going to tell me that you _literally_ have a—a monster trapped somewhere? Against their will?” Papyrus glared at Edge, fury bubbling up in his soul. Edge gave him an incredulous look.

“Papyrus, these creatures are—are hardly monster anymore.” Beside him, Sans tensed, but once again, Papyrus’ only focus was Edge. “They’re just—just corrupted creatures. Hardly living.”

“I—I can’t believe you.” Papyrus stared at Edge, his teeth gritted in frustration. “You can’t actually be serious.” He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. _“How_ is having a living monster locked up in—in a cage okay? How does this make you any better than—than the King?” Papyrus stared at Edge, who was looking tense, a flicker of irritation in his eye-lights.

“Papyrus, we—we _needed_ her,” Edge said in exasperation.

“E-Edge…” Sans whispered.

“We needed to _study_ her,” Edge went on, ignoring Sans. “Alphys needed to do—to do research so we could get to the bottom of this—so that we could put a stop to it.”

Papyrus froze, realisation hitting him all of a sudden.

“This is… this is Alphys’ ‘experiment’ – isn’t it?” Papyrus felt a wave of nausea pass over him, his eye-lights shrinking, his soul quivering in his chest. “A _living_ monster?” Edge remained silent, staring at Papyrus, who could feel his hands, which were clenched into fists, shaking slightly. “You—you’re _experimenting_ on this monster? How—how can you…?” Papyrus was at a loss for words. He stared at Edge, gritting his teeth harder, completely stunned. His soul was twisting uncomfortably in his chest. Edge’s expression was impassive, but something flickered within his eye-lights. “You’re—you’re not even going to try and defend yourself?” Papyrus stared at Edge with incredulity.

“Papyrus, I—”

_“Edge!”_ Sans hissed, and both Edge and Papyrus turned to look at Sans, frowning. But Sans was staring at Undyne, and Papyrus suddenly realised Edge’s slip. His eye-lights shot up to Undyne, wide.

But, surprisingly, she was looking extremely calm. In fact, she was looking at him with a slight smirk on her face.

“So, _Papyrus,”_ she said, smoothly, “exactly how stupid do you lot think I am?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't have as much on as I normally do next week, which means I might be able to post two chapters instead of one! No promises though, but I'll try my best!
> 
> I've also been working on some other stuff (all Spicyhoney obviously, I'm whipped) so look out for that too if you're interested!
> 
> Once again, I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone for reading and commenting, it all means so much to me!! ◠‿◠✿


	57. Chapter 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very hard hitting chapter so please read the end notes for potential triggers!
> 
> I'd like to apologise in advance for this chapter to anyone hoping for happiness and good things for our beloved skeletons :|

Edge sat, stunned. He couldn’t believe how careless he’d been. He had hardly even noticed that he’d been using Papyrus’ real name, so caught up in their argument. He looked at Undyne, grimacing.

“Um, Captain… we just—”

“Oh please, Edge,” Undyne scoffed, giving a wave of her hand. “Don’t even try to defend yourself. You’ve been calling him Papyrus for the past five minutes.” She smirked. “Not to mention how many times you’ve called him ‘Pap—uh, Stretch’. God, you must think I’m dumb.”

“U-Undyne!” Sans squeaked, his starry eye-lights wide. “We—we were just—”

“I’ve already told you not to bother defending yourselves… _Sans.”_

Sans’ eye-lights somehow went wider, and he cringed, practically melting back into his seat. Papyrus was the only one who seemed calm—at least, if he wasn’t, he was certainly doing a very good job of hiding it. His expression was completely impassive, and he regarded Undyne coolly.

“So,” he said, holding her gaze, “how do you know our real names?” He narrowed his eye sockets. “Are you in league with the King?” Edge shot Papyrus a look, but he was very clearly ignoring Edge.

“The King?” Undyne rolled her good eye. “Please. Like I’d bow down to that bastard. No, I’ve known who you two are for a very long time – pretty much since I met you in fact.” For a moment, there was a flicker of surprise in Papyrus’ expression, but then he steeled himself once again.

“‘Who we are’?” he asked, raising his brow bone. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean – I know where you’re from. I know you’re not from this world.”

This certainly earned a reaction out of Papyrus, his eye-lights shrinking. Beside him, Sans gasped, and Edge felt his own eye sockets widening. He stared at Undyne in bewilderment.

“C-Captain—how did you—”

“Come on, Edge.” Undyne frowned at him. “You know I trust you, but do you really think I’d let you off when your only explanation for who they were was ‘I can’t tell you but you’re gonna have to trust me on this’?” Undyne looked incredulous. “I would’ve dusted ‘em on the spot if I hadn’t known better.”

Papyrus regarded her, his features placid once again.

“And how exactly did you ‘know better’?” he asked. “I don’t suppose you just figured it out on based purely on intuition.”

Undyne shook her head.

“Well, first off – you guys are literally skeleton monster copies of Edge and Red. Something had to give. And secondly, Alphys and I had already—”

“Wait, _Alphys_ knows about them?” Edge asked, narrowing his eye sockets. Undyne raised her eyebrows at him.

“Uh, obviously, genius. She’s the Royal Scientist – she knows about shit like this.”

Edge frowned. He didn’t like the idea of Alphys knowing the truth about Sans and Papyrus – particularly given her previous expression of interest in Papyrus. Something occurred to Edge suddenly. Was it at all possible that Alphys’ interest in Papyrus had been due to her knowledge of his origin? Edge sighed.

“So how long have you known?”

“Well, _as I was saying,”_ Undyne continued, shooting Edge an irritated look, “a couple of weeks before I met them,” she indicated Sans and Papyrus with a flick of her wrist, “Alphys and I found these really weird notes in the lab.”

Edge frowned.

“What kind of notes?”

“All this shit about timelines, time travel and… I dunno, some bullshit about resetting them?” Undyne shrugged. “Not really my area of expertise, that’s more Alphys’ thing. And it sounded like a bunch of crap anyway. But…” Undyne trailed off, glancing at Sans and Papyrus. Edge suddenly noticed that Papyrus had stiffened, his face going blank. “But what really got us,” Undyne continued, and Edge’s attention was drawn away from Papyrus, “were these ramblings about multiple dimensions – or alternate universes or whatever.” Undyne paused, taking a sip of her tea.

“And?” Edge prompted, and Undyne shot him an annoyed look.

“Damn, let me drink my fucking tea, bastard!” Edge rolled his eye-lights, but waited anyway. Once Undyne was done drinking, she placed her cup back on the table, and regarded Edge once again. “So basically, Alphys studied these notes, and we learned – well, she learned, I mostly just listened and pretended to understand – all this crap about multiple universes. Now, at the time, I figured it was pretty much bullshit – until I met these two.” Undyne glanced back at Sans and Papyrus, who were both looking rather taken aback. Sans’ teeth were still gritted, and he seemed as if he were trying to hide himself in the cushions of the sofa. Papyrus was observing Undyne with a surly expression, and Edge could see him tapping his phalanges on the arm of the couch, as if agitated.

“And what about the… timelines?” Papyrus asked, apprehensively. Undyne made a non-committal noise.

“Ngah, just a load of rubbish, like I said. It was just some mad ramblings from whoever lived in that lab before Alphys. A real crackpot’s work if I ever saw it.”

Papyrus seemed to visibly relax at this, which Edge found strange. But he decided not to mention it, figuring Papyrus was annoyed enough at him as it was.

“So, what else do you know?” Papyrus asked, and Undyne shrugged.

“Pretty much just that there are alternate universes out there – oh, and something about a Machine?” Undyne regarded Papyrus and Sans with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, that’s how we got here,” Papyrus said, stiffly. Edge felt a twinge of sympathy in his soul at the forlorn expression on Papyrus’ face. No doubt he was thinking about his inability to fix the Machine. He gazed at Papyrus, sympathetically, but the lanky skeleton was still ignoring him.

“Okay,” Undyne said, nodding. “So what I wanna know is – why are you still here? _You—”_ she nodded in Papyrus’ direction “—clearly aren’t a fan of this universe. Although your brother seems to fit in alright.” Naturally, Papyrus’ expression darkened at this statement.

“We can’t leave,” he said, his voice tight. “The Machine’s broken.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Undyne said, plainly. “Any chance of fixing it?”

“We’re working on it.” Papyrus’ voice was still stilted, and Edge didn’t fail to notice the way his eye-lights flickered to Sans, who was looking anxious.

“Well, actually,” Edge interjected, “about that. We—”

“We should be done with it soon.” Papyrus was giving Edge a very deliberate look, and Edge frowned. They still hadn’t divulged that Papyrus’ magic no longer worked on the Machine to Sans. And judging by Papyrus’ expression, he had no intention of doing so. This bothered Edge. The past was a clear indicator that lying to Sans was not a good idea.

“Well, I wouldn’t count on it,” Edge said, holding Papyrus’ gaze. “We’ve hit a few snags.”

“Nothing we can’t work past,” Papyrus stated, his teeth gritted.

“Oh, I’m not so sure,” Edge said, giving Papyrus a challenging look. The other skeleton’s eye sockets were narrowed, and Edge could see his phalanges digging into the arm of the sofa. “This one seems pretty unavoidable.”

_“Edge,”_ Papyrus hissed. “Don’t.”

“You can’t lie to your brother, Papyrus,” Edge retorted. Sans looked up in surprise.

“L-lie to me…?” He stared at Papyrus. “Papy, what…”

“No one asked you, Edge.” Papyrus was giving Edge a seething look, his eye-lights intense.

“Papy, _what_ are you two talking about?” Sans was glancing frantically back and forth between Edge and Papyrus. Edge sighed, turning to Sans.

“Blue—”

_“Edge,”_ Papyrus warned, but Edge ignored him.

“Papyrus’ magic doesn’t work on the Machine anymore, Blue. I’m sorry.”

A crestfallen expression crossed Sans’ face, the corners of his mouth turning down.

“What? But… that means…”

Sans’ voice went very quiet, and Edge could see tears brimming in his eye sockets. He suddenly felt guilty, seeing the look of despair on Sans’ face, and knowing that he had caused it. But they would have had to have told Sans the truth sooner or later – and better to get it over with. Edge looked at Papyrus.

He was staring at Edge, a look of utter betrayal in his eyes. Edge tried to hold his gaze, but found he couldn’t maintain eye contact, and he glanced away. Undyne’s focus was flitting between the three of them, her eyebrows raised.

“Well,” she said, wincing slightly, “I’m gonna let you guys sort out this mess later, but for now, I’ve gotta ask you about your visit with the King.”

Edge was grateful for the change of topic, and he looked at Undyne. He could still feel Papyrus’ eye-lights on him though, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sans staring at the floor.

“What do you want to know?” he asked, trying to ignore the other two skeletons.

“Well, you mentioned him knowing about Blue and Stretch,” said Undyne. “What did he know?”

“He knew their real names – and he said he knew where they were from,” said Edge, frowning. Undyne’s brow furrowed.

“Well, that’s disconcerting.”

“Indeed. And… he also said something else…” Edge paused, grimacing. “He said… he said ‘I have you where I want you now’. Or something along those lines.”

Undyne grimaced.

“Well that’s creepy as fuck. He meant Blue and Stretch?”

Edge shrugged.

“I assume so. That must have been why he invited them to his castle.”

“Any idea what he meant?”

“None at all.”

“Weird.” Undyne went quiet for a moment, as if thinking. “And his soul was black, right?” Edge nodded. “Did you get a chance to ‘check’ him?”

Edge shook his head, frowning.

“No… but…” He glanced up at Papyrus, who was staring at the floor, a melancholy look on his face. “Papyrus did.” Papyrus looked up at the sound of his name, but his gaze immediately flitted away from Edge.

“Papyrus?” Undyne asked, looking at the lanky skeleton. “What were his stats?”

Papyrus paused for a moment, his eye-lights flickering to Edge, before he turned his attention back to Undyne.

“Maxed out,” Papyrus said, dryly. Undyne looked unfazed.

“Care to elaborate?”

Papyrus shrugged.

“Maximum LOVE, insanely high HP, the works.” Papyrus paused for a moment, frowning.

“Something else?” Undyne inquired, examining him. Papyrus sighed.

“Yeah, his name… it was all messed up. Like I couldn’t read it properly. All I could see was ‘King’ and then a bunch of jumbled blurs.”

Undyne looked concerned.

“That’s strange.” She glanced at Edge. “Ever notice anything like that with Catty?” Edge noticed the way Papyrus tensed at the mention of their captured monster.

“I never checked,” Edge said, shrugging. Undyne turned back to Papyrus.

“Okay, was there anything else?”

Papyrus cleared his throat, his expression stiff.

“Um, yes, his description was also… messed up.”

“What did it say?” Undyne asked, her brow creased.

“I—I’m not quite sure,” Papyrus admitted. “It was the same – all scrambled and blurry. The only words I could really see were ‘darkness’ and… ‘run’.”

Edge and Undyne exchanged a look.

“Darkness…” Edge repeated, slowly. “Was that all you could make out?” he asked, turning to Papyrus.

“Yes,” Papyrus muttered, looking away from Edge, who sighed, turning back to Undyne.

“Well, Catty did mention the darkness… amidst her ramblings.”

“Yeah,” Undyne said, nodding. “I guess it makes sense then… if these corrupted monsters have a link to the King.”

“So what do you think ‘the darkness’ is?” Edge asked. “Just the corruption in their souls?”

Undyne shrugged.

“I’d assume so. I guess we could interrogate Catty a bit more.” Out of the corner of his eye, Edge saw Papyrus flinch. “I guess Asgore was the ‘he’ she mentioned when she was rambling on about all that stuff.”

“I agree,” said Edge. “Although it’s unlikely she’ll still be there if we go back – not that we’d even be able to go back. No doubt the King has reclaimed her now that his cover’s blown. He’s probably shoved her back in her cage—”

“Sans and I are leaving.”

Edge and Undyne looked up. Papyrus had risen from the couch, his hand clasped around Sans’, who was looking nervous, fiddling with his blue bandana. Papyrus’ expression was taut with frustration… and something else. His posture was tense. Edge narrowed his eye sockets.

“Leaving? You can’t go by yourself. We haven’t finished—”

“Actually, Edge, I think we’re pretty much done here,” Undyne said. “You can go with them.” Edge didn’t fail to notice the small flicker of disappointment on Papyrus’ face at Undyne’s words, and – despite himself – he felt a faint twinge of hurt in his soul.

“Very well,” he said, stiffly, rising from the sofa. “Is there anything you need before we leave, Captain?”

“Eh, just toss me that heat pack over there, will you?” Undyne indicated towards the kitchen table. Edge retrieved the heat pack, handing it to Undyne. As he leaned down, she whispered, “And… good luck,” indicating towards Papyrus, who was waiting impatiently at the door. Edge cringed slightly, dreading the conversation he knew lay ahead of him.

“Thank you,” he muttered, before heading towards the door.

“I’ll text you if I need anything—and you’d better not ignore me!” Undyne called, and Edge turned, grimacing.

“I look forward to it.” He highly doubted being cooped up and forced to lie around all day would be good for Undyne – it was very likely she’d grow frustrated, and he was almost certain that frustration would be let out on him. “I’ll see you later, Undyne.”

“Take care of your friends, Edge.”

Edge nodded, before following Sans and Papyrus outside. Edge reached out his hand, meeting Papyrus’ gaze. Papyrus stared at him, a burning flicker in his eye-lights, before gripping onto Edge’s wrist – almost painfully so – and shortcutting them onto the front porch. Papyrus immediately shoved the front door open, marching inside, his fists clenched at his sides. Edge ran after him.

“Papyrus wait—”

He reached out a hand, placing it on Papyrus’ shoulder. Papyrus spun around, and shoved Edge’s hand away, his expression taut with fury.

“Don’t you dare—” Papyrus took a deep breath. “I don’t want to talk to you right now, Edge.”

Edge stared at him in bewilderment. Just at that moment, Sans came trotting up to stand beside Edge. He was looking at his brother in disbelief.

“P-Papy, what’s—”

“Sans—” Papyrus breathed in again, turning to face Edge. “How could you tell him, Edge? That was—that was the last shred of hope he had. The _last_ hope that someday, we might get out of this _godforsaken universe.”_ Papyrus was seething, his eye-lights not leaving Edge.

“Papy, he… he was just telling me… the truth,” Sans whispered, his voice very small.

“And what good did it do? Great, now you know – we’re stuck here forever.”

Papyrus was still holding Edge’s gaze, rage sparking in his eye-lights. Edge frowned.

“He deserved the truth, Papyrus.”

Papyrus threw up his hands.

“Well, congratulations, you gave it to him. Now what?”

“What has gotten into you?” Edge asked in exasperation. “Why have you been acting so—”

“Maybe I’m just pissed off, Edge,” Papyrus snapped.

“I just fail to see why you feel the need to act like such a _brat,”_ Edge hissed. Papyrus stared at him for a few seconds, his eye-lights fiery. Edge refused to break eye contact, firmly holding his gaze.

Then, Papyrus slapped him.

He cracked his hand across Edge’s face, hard, and Edge gasped, bringing a hand to his cheek – more out of surprise than pain. Papyrus didn’t break eye contact, still staring at Edge, fuming.

“P-Papyrus!” Sans squeaked in shock.

“Go to hell, Edge,” Papyrus growled, before turning on his heel, and storming up the stairs. Sans turned to Edge, his eye-lights wide.

“E-Edge, he—”

“I’ll talk to him,” Edge said, sighing, and rubbing his cheek bone, which was burning slightly. Sans nodded, looking worried, nibbling on his thumb anxiously. Edge followed Papyrus up the stairs, in time to hear Red’s bedroom door slamming. He took a deep breath, and marched down the corridor, knocking hard on the door. “Papyrus, open the door.” There was no response, and Edge growled. “I’m coming in.” He opened the door, and saw Papyrus standing by the bed, his back turned to Edge. “Papyrus, you need to listen to me—”

“I don’t need to do anything, Edge!” Papyrus snapped, spinning to face him. Edge was slightly taken aback, there were tears sparkling in his eyes, and his teeth were gritted.

“Papyrus, I don’t understand what—”

“Just leave me alone, please.”

Edge frowned, approaching Papyrus. He reached out a hand, but Papyrus slapped him away.

“Papyrus, what—”

“God, what is wrong with you? I said _fuck off.”_ Papyrus was glaring at him, and he looked as if he was struggling to stay composed, his fists shaking slightly at his sides.

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong,” Edge said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Is this about what I said to Blue? Papyrus, I’m sorry for telling your brother about the Machine – but you can’t keep him in the dark—”

“It’s not—it’s not that… it’s…” Papyrus’ voice cracked slightly, and he turned away, bringing a hand up to cover his face. His breathing sounded shaky, and Edge frowned, taking a step closer.

“Papyrus, what is it? Why are you—”

_“Edge,”_ Papyrus cut him off, then paused, closing his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself, but Edge wasn’t sure if it had worked, because when he spoke again, his voice shuddered slightly. “Do you know… why I killed—why I killed that person?”

Edge frowned, suddenly confused.

“You did it to… to protect Sans.”

Papyrus shook his head, a small, dry laugh escaping him.

“Of course I did it to protect Sans, Edge.” His voice sounded shaky, uneven. _“Of course I did._ But…” He took another deep breath, his eyes closing again. “Do you know what he did to me?” Papyrus’ voice had lowered so that it was almost a whisper. “Do you know what—what that _bastard_ did to me?”

Edge stared, lost for words.

“Papyrus, I—I—”

“He locked me—in a cage, and he—he did _experiments_ on me.” Papyrus’ teeth were gritted, tears brimming in his eye sockets. Edge felt his soul twist painfully in his chest, realisation suddenly dawning on him.

“He… we experimented on—”

“Yes, you did.” Papyrus was looking at Edge now, his expression quivering. He brought a hand up to his face, biting down slightly on his fist.

“And… and you—”

“I was—was l-locked in a cage— and… and I was…” Edge stared at Papyrus, stunned, unable to speak. Papyrus took a deep, shaky breath. “He poked, prodded, probed—whatever he wanted, because I couldn’t stop him. Because I was… w-weak… pathetic – and he made sure I knew it, too.” Papyrus’ voice wavered, and Edge could tell his composure was breaking. “He’s the one who—who made me like this—” Papyrus made a waving gesture over himself “—a helpless, fragile, one HP monster. Who—who c-can’t defend himself… m-much less his own brother.” Edge gritted his teeth as Papyrus’ voice choked slightly, the tears beginning to fall. “And now—now you…”

Edge’s soul broke.

He felt as if his entire chest was clenching up, and all he could do was stare at Papyrus, all his previous anger completely dissipated. Papyrus suddenly looked so vulnerable, so fragile, and Edge wanted nothing more than to hold him, keep him safe, protect him. He reached out a hand.

“Papyrus…”

_“Don’t touch me,”_ Papyrus hissed, recoiling, and Edge drew away, sharply. “Don’t you dare come near me, Edge.” Papyrus was staring at him with a vilified expression, the tears still flowing from his eye sockets. Edge could feel his own stability wavering.

“P-Papyrus, I only want—”

“I don’t care what you want, Edge,” Papyrus snapped, taking another step away from him. “Because—because now I know… now I know that you… that you condone that—keeping monsters locked in cages— _experimenting on them.”_ Papyrus practically spat the last bit, and he reflexively brought his hands up, clasping them together over his chest – almost protectively.

“P-Papyrus,” Edge stammered, “I—I wouldn’t—I tried to stop them but… but she isn’t even—her soul—”

“Oh spare me your excuses, Edge,” Papyrus retorted, his teeth gritted. “I don’t give a fuck. I don’t want to hear them. And—and don’t give me that crap about—about her soul being—dark, or whatever. She’s still a—a _living monster._ And you—you treated her like—like some e-experiment, like…” Papyrus broke off with a gasp, the tears falling freely now, staining his cheek bones.

Edge couldn’t speak. There was nothing he could say that could make this right – that could change what he’d done, or how Papyrus now saw him because of it. Even if he’d just been a sideliner in the grand scheme, he’d still allowed it – hadn’t done anything to stop it. He was still an offender, if only for being a bystander. And now, Papyrus hated him for it. He hated him, because Edge was to Catty what Papyrus’ abuser had been to him. At least – parts of it. Edge’s soul still keeled nauseously as he thought of what Papyrus had endured… and at such a young age. Right now, all he wanted was to hold Papyrus. To pull him close, to keep him safe, to tell him that he loved him, and that he was sorry, and everything would be alright.

But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t be there for Papyrus right now. He couldn’t be that person – the one who would comfort Papyrus in his troubles, the one who would make it better. Because to Papyrus, right now, Edge was the enemy. The dark figure in his nightmares – nightmares which must have been plaguing him his whole life. Edge stared at Papyrus, feeling his own tears springing forth, threatening to fall.

“I’ll never look at you the same, Edge.”

And that was enough. Edge felt his composure shattering, his tears running down his cheek bones. He looked at Papyrus, desperately, wanting to be able to do something, anything, to make it better.

“Papyrus,” Edge choked, his voice shaking, “please, I—”

“Just get out, Edge,” Papyrus whispered, staring at the floor. “I—I don’t want to look at you right now.

“Papyrus, please don’t—”

_“Get out!”_ Papyrus yelled, his left eye socket flaring, and Edge jumped back, tears stinging his eyes. He backed out of the room, just before Papyrus slammed the door, the force of it sending a shudder through the walls.

Edge stared at the door, frozen in place. On the other side, he could faintly hear Papyrus sobbing, and the sound conjured fresh tears from his own eye sockets. He leaned against the door, in hopeless despair, before slumping down onto the floor, and letting the tears flow freely down his cheek bones. Papyrus’ words echoed through his mind, piercing his soul.

_I’ll never look at you the same, Edge._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for non-graphic mentions of past child abuse


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry! I was hoping to post this chapter on the weekend but I ended up being a lot busier than I anticipated!  
> But as always, thank you to everyone for reading this far! Part 1 has dragged on a bit (a lot) longer than I expected, but we are reaching the (not quite) end! I hope you all enjoy this (slightly shorter) chapter xx

“Hey Blue, you okay, bud? You wanna talk?”

Sans looked up at Red from his spot on the sofa, his eye-lights glistening.

“Red… do you know why Papy hates Edge?”

Red frowned, his hand twisting in his collar. He sat down next to Sans, putting an arm around him. Sans seemed somber, a glum expression on his face.

“Hey, don’t say that,” Red chided. “Stretch doesn’t hate him, he’s just… upset.”

“Edge seems to think otherwise,” Sans said, staring at the floor. Red sighed, nodding.

“Yeah, I know.”

It had been three days since Red had come home to find Sans sitting on the sofa, a heartbroken expression on his face. And worse, when Red had gone upstairs, he’d been shocked to find Edge crying, sitting outside Red’s bedroom door. This was only the second time Red had ever seen his brother cry since he was a babybones – the other being when Papyrus had almost died. But this time had been different. When Edge had healed Papyrus, he had been stricken with grief, yes – but he had still seemed in control, poised. He’d had his familiar stoical demeanour about him.

But now, it was different. It had been as if he had fallen apart, and the pieces of his soul were scattered all around him. He had been sobbing into his hands, pressed up against the door, and when Red had reached down to comfort him, he had jumped, as if he’d been shocked.

After some time, he had calmed down, and Red hadn’t seen him cry since then. But he had refused to speak of it, and all he had told Red and Sans was that Papyrus hated him, and that he deserved it. Red wasn’t sure why Edge thought this, but Papyrus had refused to speak him at all, barely looking at Red.

“Red,” Sans said, quietly, and Red glanced at him, breaking out of his reverie.

“What is it, pal?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the… corrupted monsters?”

Red fell silent, looking at Sans uncomfortably. He felt a twinge of guilt in his soul, and he began fidgeting with the zipper of his jacket.

“Um, look Blue… the thing is—”

“I-I know that… that Undyne wanted it kept… controversial and stuff,” Sans interrupted. “But… but do you not trust me?”

Red’s soul clenched in his chest.

“No, Sans—of course I trust you.”

“Then why…?”

Red sighed, bringing a hand to his temple.

“Look, Blue, it’s not that—it’s not that I didn’t trust you. It’s just that, at the time, the whole corrupted monsters thing didn’t really seem that important. I mean – yeah, it was pretty bad, but… but you—and your brother, I suppose—were sort of… separate.” Red shook his head. “It’s pretty selfish but… you were sort of like the relief at the end of the day. I didn’t want to put the burden of that knowledge on you, I mean, it’s bad enough that you’re stuck in this world…”

Sans shook his head.

“I… it’s not so bad here.”

Red looked up in surprise.

“It’s… not?”

Sans smiled.

“No. You’re here.”

Red’s soul did an excited flip. He reached out a hand, cupping Sans’ jaw, and pulled their mouths together, kissing Sans gently. Sans sighed against him, their tongues twisting together, the faint tingle of Sans’ magic radiating through Red. Just then, the front door opened, and Edge walked inside. Sans and Red jumped apart, Red grinning sheepishly. Edge’s gaze flitted over them, but he looked away quickly, an almost sad glint in his eye-lights.

“Hey Boss, you’re home early,” Red commented, standing up. Edge nodded.

“Well, there isn’t much work to be done when we can’t access the King’s castle anymore,” Edge said. Red frowned.

“The elevator still sealed off?”

“It is,” Edge replied. “And without access to the holding cell…” Edge trailed off, glancing at Sans. “Anyway, I’ll make dinner tonight, if you like.”

Red shrugged.

“Uh, yeah sure.” He held Edge’s gaze for a moment, but Edge glanced away. “Hey Boss… are you okay?” Edge nodded, stiffly.

“I’m fine. I’d better get started.”

Red didn’t miss the way Edge’s eye-lights flickered to the stairs for a moment, and he knew that his brother was thinking about Papyrus. Red felt an uncomfortable lurch in his soul, a sliver of guilt for so openly displaying his own happy relationship in front of Edge, when his own was practically crumbling to pieces. At least, that’s the way it seemed. Red was certain Edge and Papyrus hadn’t even been in the same room these past three days.

“Um, yeah okay, Boss.”

Edge nodded slowly, before making his way into the kitchen. Sans came to stand by Red’s side, his expression grim.

“He doesn’t seem okay,” he commented, and Red nodded.

“Yeah, he doesn’t.” Red sighed. “I wish I knew what their fight was about, I hate seeing my bro so… beaten down.” Sans looked uncomfortable, fidgeting with his bandana.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Papy so angry. Did I tell you that he… hit Edge?”

Red’s eye sockets widened, and he stared at Sans in shock.

“He _what?”_

“Well, it was just a slap, but still… and then when they went upstairs, it was like… it sounded bad.” Sans stared at the floor, looking melancholy. “And Papy has barely left your room. It’s like during that week, before he…” Sans broke off, and Red could see tears sparkling in his eyes. He quickly pulled Sans to his chest, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“Hey, no, no, no, that’s not going to happen again,” he assured, hoping he sounded convincing. “Look, I’m sure they’ll get past this… me ‘n Boss have had worse fights and come out of it strong as ever. It’s part of the Underfell bros dynamic. Stretch will get used to it ‘n cool off.”

“I hope you’re right, Red,” Sans whispered. “I mean… it’s starting to—to look like me and Papy are never going to leave this universe and… and I know that Edge has been… the only thing keeping my brother going.”

Red paused, letting Sans’ words sink in. He suddenly realised that Sans was partially right – Edge had been grounding Papyrus for a long time. But…

“He still has you, bud. You know your bro won’t leave ya behind, you’re too important.” Sans sniffed, and Red pulled him closer. “Hey, c’mere. You know how special you are, right?” Sans gave Red a small smile. “In fact, I’d say you’re… Sansational.”

Sans pulled away, glaring, his hands on his hips.

“You were doing so well!” he huffed, and Red grinned. Just at that moment, Sans’ pocket buzzed. “Ooh, hang on, I’m getting a text!” Red glared.

“You mean _I’m_ getting a text – give me that!” Red tried to snatch the phone out of Sans’ hand, but Sans pulled it away.

“It’s _my_ phone now!” He glanced at the screen. “It’s from Undyne.” Red made another attempt to grab the phone, but Sans yanked it out of the way once again.

“What did she say? _Let me see!”_

“Hmm, turns out it’s for both of us,” Sans said, observing the screen. “She wants to know if we’d like to meet her at Alphys’ lab for anime and pizza – and she said not to bring Edge, because he’s been too much of a… sourpuss these past few days.”

Red raised his brow bone.

“Undyne used the word ‘sourpuss’?” he asked, skeptically.

“Well, n-no,” Sans admitted. “But I’m not saying the word she actually used! It’s vulgar!”

Red chuckled.

“Heh, well, guess she’s getting bored of being cooped up in that house. Not to mention Boss is probably the only visitor she’s had, and he’s been a bit…” Red shook his head. “Well alright, that sounds like fun. I guess if we’re eating there I’d better let Boss know that we’re not gonna be home for dinner.”

Sans nodded.

“Should I go pack my pyjamas?” he asked, hopping from foot to foot in anticipation. Red smirked.

“Your pyjamas? Why? This isn’t a slumber party?” He chuckled, but broke off when he saw the slight look of dejection on Sans’ face. “But—uh, why don’t you bring them anyway?” he said, smiling. “You never know, maybe it’ll turn into one.”

Sans looked up, the smile returning to his face.

“Should I pack yours as well?”

Red grimaced, suddenly regretting this.

“Um… no. I’ll just wear this.” He would only go so far to make Sans smile. “I’m, uh, gonna go talk to Boss, why don’t you get ready?”

Sans nodded, beaming. Then, without warning, he quickly stood up on his tippy-toes, and gave Red a quick peck on the teeth.

“I’ll, um—see you in a minute!” he said, before darting up the stairs, leaving Red standing there with a cherry blush on his cheek bones.

 

****

 

“Papy? Papy, it’s Sans, can I come in?”

There was a moment of quiet on the other side of the door, then Sans heard some shuffling.

“Yeah, bro… you can come in.”

Sans tentatively pushed open the door. It was quite dark inside the room, the curtains drawn over the pale evening light. The room felt rather hot, despite the cold air outside, and there was a faintly sweet scent in the air. Sans frowned, wondering if Papyrus had spilt honey somewhere. The skeleton in question was sitting on the bed, staring at the floor, hands fidgeting in his lap.

“Um… Red and I are going to Alphys’ to watch anime with Undyne, so we won’t be home for dinner.”

Papyrus looked up.

“Alphys’?” Papyrus frowned. “Sans, you know what she did, don’t you? She’s not… she’s not a good person.”

Sans sighed, walking over to his brother, and sitting beside him on the bed.

“Papy… I know that you’re—that you’re upset with Edge, but… but you don’t need to be so hard on everyone.” Sans frowned at his brother, who wasn’t meeting his gaze. “You’re not even talking to Red, Papy. What’s wrong? Why are you being like this?”

Papyrus looked away.

“It doesn’t matter. Have fun.” Papyrus’ tone was dry, and Sans felt a flicker of bitterness in his soul. He sighed, standing up and making his way over to the closet. Once he’d packed his pyjamas into his backpack, he glanced at Papyrus.

“I… I’ll see you later, Papy.” He turned, and was about to head out the door when Papyrus called out.

“Sans, wait.”

Sans turned. Papyrus was looking at him with an uncertain expression, his hands twisting together nervously.

“What is it, Papy?” Sans asked, frowning. Papyrus closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

“Sans, do you remember what Undyne said about… about those notes she and Alphys found?”

Sans nodded, slowly.

“Yes… the ones about the alternate universes. What about them?”

Papyrus shook his head.

“No, not those. I mean… I mean the other ones… about—about timelines.”

Sans narrowed his eye sockets, confused.

“Well, yes, but… Undyne said those weren’t… weren’t real.”

Papyrus looked at him suddenly, his teeth gritted, a strained look in his eyes.

“Sans, I need to tell you someth—”

“Hey Blue, you ready to go?”

Sans spun around to see Red standing in the doorway behind him. His gaze was fixed on Papyrus though, and his expression was unreadable. Sans could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of crimson flash within his eye-lights. He wondered how long Red had been standing there.

“Um, yes, just… what were you saying, Papy?” Sans looked at his brother, but Papyrus’ expression was reserved once again, his eyes darting over Red, before dropping to the floor.

“Um, nothing. See you later, Sans.”

Sans paused for a moment, frowning, before turning to follow Red out the door.

“I’ll… see you, Papy.” He closed the door behind him, still frowning, before sighing, and following Red downstairs. He scurried to catch up with Red, who was already halfway across the living room. “Hey, Red, what was that about? You were giving my brother a… strange look.” Red turned, looking at Sans with a passive expression.

“Nothing,” he said, holding Sans’ gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sans raised his brow bone.

“You were… kind of staring at him funny.”

Red shrugged.

“Well, sorry, didn’t mean to. Shall we leave? We don’t wanna be late.”

Sans observed Red for a moment, still not convinced. But, he then sighed, and nodded, allowing Red to take his hand and lead him onto the front porch. Sans shivered slightly as the cold air hit him. His heat had long passed, and he no longer had that warmth pulsing through his bones. Red turned to him, smiling, before teleporting them out of the snow, and straight into Hotland, in front of Alphys’ lab. The scorching air was a huge contrast to the chilly breeze of Snowdin. Red knocked on the door, then stepped back, waiting beside Sans. They waited in silence for a few moments, before Sans took a deep breath, and turned to look at Red.

“Red?” he said, tentatively, Red looked at him.

“What’s up, pal?”

Sans paused, fidgeting with his bandana.

“Do you… do you think Alphys is… is a bad person?”

Red raised his brow bone, looking surprised.

“What makes ya think that?”

Sans frowned slightly, struggling to maintain eye contact.

“It’s just… don’t you think it’s a bit—a bit, um… unkind of her to keep that monster trapped in a cell? A-and to… to do experiments on it?” Sans’ voice went quiet, and he looked away, kicking at the dirt around his feet. Red sighed, nodding.

“I mean… yeah, I kind of get what you’re saying. But—but it was sort of necessary for the case. They needed information about the—the souls of those corrupted monsters to help with the investigation…”

Sans looked up, his frown deepening.

“But—but did it even help them?” he asked. “I mean… from what it sounds like, they didn’t even learn anything they didn’t already know, so… so wasn’t it all just… for nothing?” Sans felt uncomfortable. When he’d met the Alphys of this universe, she’d seemed so sweet. Perhaps a little shy, but she hadn’t seemed at all like the type of person who would mistreat other monsters. But maybe she was… how could he even know? He’d only met her once.

“Well… yeah.” Red was looking troubled, his hand twisting in the collar at his neck.

“And… and Edge—and Undyne, they were… involved…” Sans trailed off, his voice barely a whisper. Red looked up, grimacing.

“Edge—he tried to stop them, but… but they were convinced it was the only way…” Red sighed again, rubbing his forehead. “But you’re right, it… it was wrong. They shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t…”

“It’s okay, Red,” Sans said, placing a hand on Red’s arm. “I’m not blaming you or anything, I just… I don’t know. The Alphys in my universe was so dedicated to justice and—and doing the right thing. It just seems to strange that the Alphys here is so different.”

Red nodded.

“I get ya.” He glanced up at the door, frowning. “What’s taking so long?” He knocked again. “Yo, Undyne? Alphys? You guys in there?” Sans couldn’t hear anything from the other side of the door. Red reached out to knock again, but just then, the electronic doors slid open. Red glanced at Sans, his brow bone raised, before shrugging and walking inside. Sans followed him, Red pressing the button on the keypad inside, and closing the doors behind them. He glanced around. It was dark inside, the lights not turned on, and the lab was very messy – much like Undyne’s lab in his own universe. Which, Sans suddenly realised, he may never see again. He shook his head. Now was not the time to think of sad things. They were here to have fun after all! He followed Red through the dimly lit room, looking around for any sign of Alphys or Undyne.

“Captain?” he called. “Captain Undyne it’s Blue and Red, are you here?” Once again, they were met with silence. Red frowned.

“Weird. Let’s check upstairs.”

Sans followed Red up the escalator leading to what he assumed was Alphys’ bedroom – although it still had a rather laboratorial look, a few test tubes scattered over the desk. But, once again, there was no sign of the other two monsters.

“Captain?” Sans called. “Alphys? Is anyone here?”

“Where are they?” Red frowned, looking concerned.

“Maybe they’re… downstairs?” Sans suggested. “In the… the other lab.” Red’s expression darkened, but he nodded.

“Yeah, maybe. I guess that would explain why they can’t hear us.” He grimaced slightly. “Gonna be honest, not really a fan of that shithole—” Sans grimaced at Red’s unsavoury choice of words “—but we should probably check anyway.”

Sans nodded, and followed Red back downstairs. When they stepped into the elevator, Sans was – unfortunately – reminded of his last journey down here. He shuddered slightly, remembering the uncomfortable cold dread that had been swirling in his soul at the time. He didn’t quite feel that way now, but something was still bothering him… he just couldn’t quite place his finger on it. When they reached the bottom, Red stepped out of the elevator, into the dark lobby, and Sans followed.

“Captain Undyne?” Sans called, his voice echoing off the dingy walls. But still, there was no response. Red frowned, looking around.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered. “I think I’m gonna call Undyne.”

“Wait, Red… look.” Sans pointed towards a door just ahead of them. It was opened a crack, and Sans could see a faint light shining from inside the room. “Let’s check it out.”

“Wait, Blue—”

But Sans had already marched over to the door, and was pushing it open. Behind him, he heard Red grumble, trotting to catch up with him. He wandered through the door, Red following. Inside the room were a series of screens shining down on a desk with a single chair at it. The room was small, and rather cramped. About seven of the screens were lit up, and Sans dropped his backpack on the floor, and looked up at them, squinting to see the blurry pictures displayed.

His soul clenched.

“R-Red, that’s…”

“That’s my house,” Red breathed, his eyes wide, fixed on the screens in front of them. Displayed on the computers, were what appeared to be surveillance videos. They were all of Snowdin, mostly the area around Red and Edge’s house. Sans stared, stunned. Even now, he could see through the kitchen window, where Edge was standing near the fridge.

“It’s… it’s live,” Sans whispered. “That’s Edge—that’s Edge right now. Why does—why does Alphys have… Red—”

“I—I have to call Boss,” Red said. He scrambled through Sans’ backpack on the floor, pulling out the cell phone. He dialled Edge’s number, then backed up to the door, still staring at the screens. “Come on,” he growled. “Damn it, I can’t get a strong enough signal.”

Sans stared at the screens in front of him. There was one displaying the back of the house – including Red’s bedroom window. Sans suddenly felt very grateful that Papyrus had drawn the curtains. Even now, he could still faintly see through them, into the dimly lit room…

“I’m gonna try Undyne,” Red mumbled, fumbling slightly with the phone in his hand. He stood for a moment, staring at the phone. “Yes, it’s ringing, she must be nearby.” Sans couldn’t draw his eyes away from the screens before him. There was one displaying Grillby’s, one of Snowdin Forest… one of the spot where he had dusted that monster.

Sans heard a ringing sound coming from somewhere behind him, and frowned. That wasn’t Red’s ringtone…

Then suddenly, Red yelped, and Sans spun to see his counterpart collapsing onto the floor, clutching a hand to his neck. He could see a faint trickle of blood running down Red’s vertebrae, as well as something… blue?

“Red!” Sans cried, rushing forward.

“Don’t take another s-step,” said a familiar voice. Sans froze, looking up. Standing just behind Red, holding what appeared to be some kind of weapon with a sharp needle on the end, was Doctor Alphys. She had a fierce expression on her face, but her hand was shaking slightly around the gun-like weapon. And clasped in her other hand, was Undyne’s phone, still ringing.

“A-Alphys, what—”

Alphys pointed the weapon at Sans, and he froze.

“Take another step, and I’ll shoot you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to be pretty intense from here onward, so I apologise if it takes me a little longer to write. I'm not very good at writing suspense D:


	59. Chapter 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which some serious shit goes down, and things are a little bit emotional (as always).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Minor warning for use of needles? Not too graphic!)

Edge had just started measuring out the pasta when Red walked into the kitchen.

“Hey Boss, Blue and I are gonna head to Alphys’ to meet up with Undyne,” Red said, leaning against the doorway. “She wants to watch anime.” Edge grimaced. He wasn’t particularly fond of anime, and was relieved that it sounded as if this invitation hadn’t been extended to him. Not to mention how grumpy Undyne had been every time he’d visited her these past three days. However, he wasn’t too pleased that they were meeting at Alphys’.

“Alphys’ place? Why?” he asked, narrowing his eye sockets. Red shrugged.

“Eh, Alphys has a better TV. Besides, pretty sure Undyne will use any excuse to hang out with her.”

Edge frowned, but sighed.

“Very well, brother. So I assume that means you’re not going to be eating here tonight?”

Red nodded.

“Yeah, just you and… Papyrus.” Red looked awkward all of a sudden, breaking eye contact. Edge’s soul flipped, and he looked down at the pasta he was measuring out.

He hadn’t been in the same room as Papyrus since their fight the other day – much less spoken to him. He’d tried, a few times – but every time he got close to Red’s bedroom door, his chest would seize up, and his soul would spin with nausea, so he’d end up retreating.

“Right,” he said, quietly. “Well, have fun brother.” Red nodded, turning.

“Yeah, uh… you too Boss. I’ll see you later.”

Edge watched Red go, before turning back to the pasta, sighing. Two helpings. One for him, one for Papyrus. Edge began pouring the pasta out onto the measuring scale, but he stopped after a couple of moments, putting down the packet. He sat down at the table, placing his head in his hands.

Every day he continued like this, it got more difficult. He knew that Papyrus needed space, but at the same time, Edge wanted nothing more than to barge into Red’s room and sweep Papyrus up in his arms. Because he missed him so much. He’d been rapidly making his way through Alphys’ supply of soul-numbing pills, but they did little to quell the ache that he knew had nothing to do with the soul bond. Every bone in his body seemed to burn at the thought of Papyrus, sitting alone in there – and hating him. And a part of him felt that Papyrus’ hatred was unjustified – and perhaps it was. But whether or not he deserved Papyrus’ hatred didn’t matter, because at the end of the day, Papyrus hated him anyway, and Edge wasn’t sure if anything could change that. And Edge couldn’t fix it. He couldn’t fix what he’d done. And what he’d done was something that had been haunting Papyrus for most of his life. So no matter what Edge did, no matter how many times he apologised, or tried to make amends, he would still be _that_ person to Papyrus.

_I’ll never look at you the same, Edge._

Edge could feel his hands shaking. He gritted his teeth, and stood up. No, he couldn’t keep doing this. He had to at least talk to Papyrus, to _see_ him. Even if it was for selfish reasons, Edge couldn’t sit here doing nothing, and just hope that maybe one day Papyrus would find it within himself to forgive him. Edge just wanted to see him.

Edge stood up, steeling himself. He purposefully marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs. When he reached the top, he paused, glancing down the passage. Red’s bedroom door was closed – as it always was. Slowly, he walked down the passage, coming to stand outside the closed door. He took a deep breath, and knocked. Unsurprisingly, he was met with silence.

“Papyrus?” he called. “It’s Edge.” There was still nothing. “I… I’m making dinner, do you want any?” Still, silence. Edge sighed. “Look, Papyrus, I know that you—that you don’t want to see me, but I… I can’t…” Edge broke off, breathing in deeply. He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, forcing back the tears which had started to form. At length, he breathed out, slowly.

“I’ll… I’ll leave it in the oven for you,” he said, hearing the strain in his own voice. “You can… you can come and get it when you’re ready.” Edge paused outside the door. But, as he’d expected, there was no response. He leaned closer to the door, as if he might be able to hear Papyrus inside.

He frowned, breathing in. There was a very slight – almost unnoticeable – sweet smell coming from inside the room. That was strange, Edge thought. But, he figured Papyrus must just have some honey or something in there, and he sighed, walking away.

He’d just finished making the dinner – placing a plate for Papyrus in the oven – and had sat down at the table, when his phone started ringing. He looked down to see that Undyne was calling. He frowned, picking it up.

“Undyne, are you—”

“E-Edge, it’s… it’s Blue.”

Edge’s frown deepened. Sans sounded scared, his voice shaking slightly.

“Blue, what’s wrong? You sound—”

“Edge, Red… is h-hurt.”

Edge’s soul froze.

“Hurt? How? Blue, is he—”

“Edge, you need to get to the lab now.”

Edge thought he could hear something muffled on the other end of the line, but he couldn’t quite make it out.

“The lab? Alphys’ lab? Blue, what—”

“The lab, Edge. You need to get to the lab. H-hurry.”

“Blue, wait, what—”

But the call had already ended. Edge stared down at his phone, his hand shaking slightly. Red was hurt. He needed to get to Alphys’ lab now. He needed to help his brother. Edge stood up, hurriedly, rushing out of the kitchen and towards the front door. He was about to leave when he suddenly remembered Papyrus. He glanced up the stairs, and decided he’d better tell him where he was going. He rushed upstairs, knocking on Red’s door.

“Papyrus,” he said, without waiting for a response. “I have to go, Red’s hurt. I—I don’t know when I’ll be back.” There was no answer and Edge sighed, turning to leave. A thought suddenly occurred to him, though, and he turned back to the door. “I’ll leave my cell phone in my room, so just… call Red’s phone if you need anything, I should be there. I—I’ll… see you later.” Edge hesitated for a couple of seconds, but then decided he didn’t have time to wait for Papyrus to reply, and hurried to his room, dropping his phone on the desk. He was about to leave, when he noticed the bottle of pills on his desk. He quickly took one of the red ones, before rushing downstairs.

He needed to get to Alphys’ lab. He didn’t know what was wrong, but there had been something off about Sans’ phone call.

 

****

 

“O-okay, he’s on his way,” said Sans, shakily, hanging up the phone. “Now, please Alphys, l-let us go… we won’t—”

“G-give me the phone,” Alphys instructed, holding out her hand, which was trembling slightly. Sans frowned, giving her a pleading look.

“Alphys, please—”

“I said, g-give it to me!” Alphys snapped, her eyes wide and frantic. Sans flinched, his eyes flickering to Red, who still lay unconscious on the ground. He slowly approached Alphys, holding out Undyne’s phone. She quickly grabbed it out of his hand, and shoved it in her pocket. She’d already taken Red’s phone, which didn’t work down here anyway. Blue vaguely wondered why Undyne had upgraded signal.

“N-now,” Alphys said, her tranquiliser gun still aimed at Sans, “pick him up.” She indicated at Red, and Sans crouched, slowly, hoisting Red up. He tried to lift him off the ground, but he stumbled slightly, unable to support Red’s weight.

“I-I can’t, he’s t-too heavy,” he stammered, staring at Alphys. She gritted her teeth, eyes darting from left to right.

“Th-then you’ll just have to d-drag him,” she said. Sans could feel his soul thumping in his chest, tears threatening to form at his eye sockets.

“A-Alphys, please… why are you doing this? W-we didn’t d-do anything. We—”

Sans gave a yelp of surprise as Alphys gripped onto the front of his shirt, holding his gaze, a menacing glare in her eyes.

“Listen up, B-Blue,” she growled, her voice still shaking slightly. “Y-you’re going to do what I say or… or I’ll sh-shoot him again.” Sans’ eye sockets widened. “And these nescium capsules are p-pretty strong, so if you want him t-to wake up – do what I t-told you—and _drag him_.”

Sans whimpered, tears in his eyes. They trickling down his cheek bones as he lifted Red by his shoulders, hoisting one of the other skeleton’s arms over his own. Red’s weight slumped into him, but he did his best to keep him supported.

“W-where—”

“Follow me,” Alphys instructed. Sans walked after her as she left the room, casting glances back at him. She stopped once they were outside. “N-now, walk towards th-that door over there.” S

he indicated to the far end of the room. Sans paused, glancing nervously at her. Her eyes flickered to Red, and Sans felt his soul flip, and he quickly did as she’d instructed, heading towards the far door, dragging Red alongside him. Alphys followed behind, and Sans could tell her tranquiliser gun was aimed at him without turning to check.

Alphys guided him through a series of dark passageways, Sans’ soul thumping in his chest. He didn’t recognise this area of the lab, as it was a different path to the one they’d taken on their way to the King’s castle. After a while, his shoulders started to hurt, straining under Red’s weight.

“I-I don’t know how much longer I can…”

“Keep m-moving,” Alphys commanded, her voice stern, but still stuttering slightly. Sans winced, and continued to follow the long, empty corridor, his soul feeling icy. After what felt like ages of walking, they reached a large set of double doors.

“Alright, stop,” Alphys instructed, and Sans halted before the doors. Alphys scurried ahead of him, but didn’t take her eyes off Sans as she produced a key and unlocked the doors. She pushed them open, and indicated for him to enter. Sans dragged Red past her, his breathing heavy, and entered the dark, dingy room.

It was completely empty, but for a set of chains hanging from one of the walls, which were grey and dirty. Sans shuddered, and glanced at Alphys.

“W-what must I do?” he asked, voice quiet, waiting anxiously with Red still slumped over his shoulder.

“T-tie him to the wall,” Alphys ordered, indicating the chains. Sans’ eyes widened as he glanced at the large metal chains.

“A-Alphys…”

_“Do it,”_ Alphys hissed, and Sans flinched, before dragging Red over to the wall. At the end of the chains were heavy metal cuffs, which Sans clamped over Red’s wrists, so that he was hanging against the wall, his head slumped forward onto his chest. Sans shivered, before turning to Alphys.

“What n-now?”

“Tie yourself to the wall.”

Sans stared at her for a moment, before turning to the other set of chains. He tentatively approached them, reaching up to grasp one of the metal cuffs. He clasped it around his left wrist, and a strange cold feeling passed over him, seeming to radiate through his bones and into his soul. He then tried to reach up for the second one, but realised he couldn’t grab it now that his left hand was tied up.

“I-I can’t do the second one,” he said, glancing at Alphys, his voice small. She frowned, her teeth gritted, before approaching.

“Don’t e-even think about t-trying to attack me,” she warned, before coming to stand in front of him. “These chains are m-magic proofed, so it won’t do you much g-good.” Sans winced, nodding, as Alphys reached up and locked the second cuff over his right wrist. He was now standing with his hands just above his head, unable to move more than a few inches away from the wall. Alphys stepped back, still holding her tranquiliser gun.

“A-Alphys,” Sans whispered, “why are you doing this? W-what have we done to you? I—I thought that…”

“Be quiet,” Alphys snapped, and Sans fell silent, tears prickling at his eye sockets once again. He glanced at Red beside him, who was still completely unconscious. “N-now, I have some other b-business to take care of,” Alphys said, hurriedly heading towards the doors. She turned when she reached them.

“D-don’t bother trying to escape. S-someone else will be down here soon to k-keep an eye on you.” She frowned for a moment. “And he isn’t n-nearly as forgiving as I am… s-so don’t… don’t make him m-mad, Blue.”

To Sans’ surprise, he saw a flicker of something in Alphys’ eyes… remorse? Sans was certain he must be mistaken – there was no way this cold-hearted monster who had just forced him to drag Red through this cold, empty prison had any compassion in her soul.

She was nothing like his Alphys.

Without another word, Alphys turned, closing the doors behind her, leaving Sans and Red alone in the darkness.

 

****

 

Papyrus lay on his side on Red’s bed, arms wrapped around his chest. He should’ve known this was going to happen sooner or later. His soul was racing, and his entire body felt hot. He’d felt rather warm when he’d gone to bed last night, but hadn’t realised he was in heat until this morning.

As a one HP monster, Papyrus was used to heats. His body couldn’t hold copious amounts of magic, so it often had to get rid of them in some way. He was a little surprised it had taken this long for him to get one – especially with all the time he’d been spending around Edge. He supposed it must partially be due to their soul bond. But now, he was lying in bed, sweating profusely, his body feeling as if it were on fire.

He jumped slightly as he heard a knock on the door.

“Papyrus?”

It was Edge. Oh stars, no, not now. Papyrus could feel his magic yearning just at the sound of Edge’s voice. He gritted his teeth, and forced himself to remain silent.

“It’s Edge… I… I’m making dinner, do you want any?”

Papyrus bit down on his fist, trying to quash the burning feeling between his femurs. God, he really must be far along in his heat if just the mere sound of Edge’s voice was turning him on like this. Damn it, why did he have so little self-control?

“Look, Papyrus…” The way Edge said his name sent a shudder through Papyrus, and he bit down harder, until his hand was practically screaming with pain. “I know that you—that you don’t want to see me, but I… I can’t…” Papyrus threw a pillow over his head, as if to block out the sound of Edge’s voice. His soul was twisting in his chest, sending a fire through his whole body.

“I’ll leave it in the oven for you,” Edge was saying. Damn it, this pillow wasn’t helping. “You can come and get it when you’re ready.”

Papyrus could still hear Edge outside, and suddenly, he could smell the spicy scent coming off him – even through the door. His magic started to form, and Papyrus practically crushed his phalanges between his teeth he was biting down so hard. Finally though, he heard Edge walking away, and he breathed a small sigh of relief.

He was still feeling incredibly horny though. Fuck. He breathed out, trying to stay calm, and felt another wave of heat pass over him. Stars, he couldn’t do this right now. He couldn’t. Because he knew that the moment he tried to relieve himself, his mind would go straight to Edge – and he really didn’t want to think about Edge right now.

He didn’t want to think about how angry he still was at Edge, or how betrayed he felt. He also didn’t want to think about how confused he felt. He knew he should hate Edge – he should hate him because he’d done something that Papyrus simply couldn’t justify. But he couldn’t hate Edge. He wasn’t sure if he could ever hate Edge.

He also didn’t want to think about the way Edge looked, or smelt, or felt. He didn’t want to think about the look Edge got on his face when he saw Papyrus’ soul, or when he took Papyrus’ face in his hands, and kissed him. Or how it felt when Edge’s hands ran down his spine, over his ribs, his hips, his…

No, stop it, you idiot, Papyrus chastised himself. These thoughts certainly weren’t helping his… situation. Papyrus scowled and buried his face in his pillow. Maybe he should just try and go to sleep. Maybe he could wait this heat out. He’d done it before – and it was definitely painful, but he could usually manage. Turning over, and resuming his foetal position, Papyrus closed his eyes, and tried to think of anything that didn’t involve the skeleton downstairs.

 

Papyrus startled awake at the sound of someone knocking loudly on the bedroom door. He looked up groggily, but the room was almost completely dark now. His bones were still warm, but he no longer felt as if he were about to spontaneously combust.

“Papyrus, I have to go,” came Edge’s voice from the other side of the door. He sounded worried. “Red’s hurt.”

Papyrus’ soul went cold, despite the burning heat around it. Hurt? How could Red be hurt? Hadn’t he gone with Sans to see Undyne and Alphys?

“I—I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Edge continued. Papyrus went still, not daring to speak, lest he alert Edge to his current condition. “I’ll leave my cell phone in my room,” Edge said, after a few moments’ silence. “So just… call if you need anything. I—I’ll… see you later.” And with that, Edge was gone. Papyrus’ soul thumped in his chest. Red was hurt. Did that mean… was Sans…?

No, Edge would have mentioned if Sans was hurt as well… wouldn’t he? Suddenly, Papyrus wasn’t so sure. Edge had been known to lie to Papyrus about these sorts of things. Papyrus pushed down the thought. He didn’t really have the energy to be angry with Edge right now. Maybe he should just go downstairs and have something to eat. He wasn’t particularly hungry – in fact, he was feeling rather nauseous at the moment – but at least eating something might distract him from the burning fire that was slowly beginning to rise in his soul again.

He clambered out of bed, and gingerly made his way downstairs, hand clutched to his hoodie, as if that might somehow help to alleviate the heat in his soul. When he reached the kitchen, he found Edge’s untouched plate of food still sitting on the table. He sighed, retrieving his own from the oven, and sitting across from where Edge normally sat. He stared at the empty seat in front of him, and wondered what it would be like if Edge was there. Most likely they’d be screaming at each other, but Papyrus tried to imagine a scenario where he wasn’t angry with Edge, or vice versa.

It suddenly struck Papyrus that he and Edge had never actually been on a proper date. Unless you counted that trip to Grillby’s where Edge had been doing his best to prevent Papyrus from jumping his bones for a decent portion of the night. Papyrus smirked a little at the memory. He should definitely try and convince Edge to do that again sometime.

Papyrus suddenly realised that he was talking as if he’d ever have the opportunity to do that again. He suddenly remembered how he’d felt when he’d realised that Edge – along with Alphys and Undyne – had tortured a living monster. A newly found wave of nausea crashed over his soul, and he suddenly found he couldn’t eat anymore. He closed his eyes, and tried not to think about the years of experimentation he’d endured. He’d recently become very good at suppressing those memories, and they seldom bothered him anymore. But the moment he’d learned that Edge had been doing the exact same thing, it was as if a door had been opened into the darkest corner of his mind, letting all the nightmares flow back in.

No, stop it, Papyrus thought, standing up. He needed to stop thinking about this, it wasn’t helping him get any better. Not to mention the almost intolerable heat that was now coursing through his bones and soul. He wandered into the living room, and sat down on the couch, closing his eyes.

 

A loud banging on the front door jerked Papyrus awake from a sleep he hadn’t realised he’d fallen into. He sighed, rubbing his eye sockets and glancing at the clock. He’d only been asleep for about twenty minutes, so there was no way that was Edge. Sighing again, Papyrus stood up, figuring it must just be Undyne or maybe the Canine Unit – he was too exhausted to think. He slowly opened the front door, glancing into the darkness outside.

“Yeah, who—”

Papyrus immediately froze, his eye sockets going wide as he recognised the large, overbearing figure before him.

“Hello, Papyrus,” said King Asgore, smoothly.

It took Papyrus only a split second to react. He pushed on the door, trying to slam it closed, but Asgore was forcing it open from the other side. Papyrus shoved with all his might, trying to force the King back, but he was too strong. Papyrus continued to lean against the door, trying to get it to close, while he conjured up a large blaster with his free hand, drawing on the powerful magic of his heat. At the last minute, he stepped away from the door, letting it swing open, before summoning a powerful beam of magic from the blaster. It hit Asgore hard, sending him hurtling back into the snow, and giving Papyrus enough time to slam the door closed, locking it. He leaned against it, panting, his soul racing in his chest.

“You can’t hide in there forever, Papyrus,” came the King’s cold, booming voice from outside. Papyrus’ soul felt like ice, the King’s dark presence seeming to radiate through the door. He could feel his entire body shaking with terror. Suddenly, he remembered Edge’s cell phone upstairs. He jumped as he felt something slamming into the door. Taking a step back, he summoned the deeper magic from his soul, bringing up a strong barricade of golden-orange bones over the door, the sharp magic infused into them creating tears in the carpet. He could already hear the wood of the front door splintering.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Papyrus turned and raced up the stairs, the sound of smashing wood reverberating through the walls of the house. He rushed into Edge’s room, locking the door behind him. Grabbing Edge’s phone off the desk, he quickly dialled Red’s number.

“Please pick up,” he whispered to himself as he dropped to the ground, crawling under the bed. Downstairs, the crashing sound grew louder – it seemed Asgore had managed to break down the door, and was now working on destroying Papyrus’ defensive barrier of magic. Papyrus squeezed his eyes shut, pushing himself right against the wall under the bed, the seconds ticking by as the phone rang. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone picking up on the other end of the line.

“Papyrus?”

It was Edge’s voice. A brief wave of relief washed over Papyrus – but it was short-lived. Downstairs, he heard the sound of bones cracking and shattering.

“E-Edge,” he whispered, frantically.

“Papyrus, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Are you—”

“H-he’s here, Edge…”

“Who? Papyrus, what are you talking about? What’s happening?”

Downstairs, Papyrus heard the sound of thunderous footsteps, before a loud, deep voice echoed through the house.

“I’ve told you it’s no use hiding, Papyrus. I’ll find you.”

Papyrus cringed against the wall, shaking, Edge’s phone still clutched in his hand.

“He’s inside the house,” Papyrus breathed, his voice barely a whisper.

“Who? Papyrus, _who is?”_

“Th-the King… Edge he’s—he’s here…”

Papyrus heard the bedroom door slamming open, a cold breeze shooting through his bones. He could feel tears beginning to fall down his cheek bones, and he clutched onto the phone, his hand shaking uncontrollably.

“Papyrus—”

“I—I love you, Edge,” Papyrus whispered as he felt the familiar tight grip of blue magic on his soul. The next moment, he was being dragged out from under the bed. He dropped the phone with a cry, trying to grip onto the carpet, but to no avail. He was slammed against the wall, his soul heavy. Then, the tall, dark figure came to stand over him. Papyrus cowered before King Asgore, feeling tiny and weak in comparison to the beast that loomed before him.

For the first time, Papyrus could properly see Asgore’s face. He still wore his helmet, from which dark, thick black hair flowed. Sharp, fanged canines protruded from his mouth, which was twisted into a malicious smile. His face was riddled with scars, and his deep, glowing red eyes almost seemed to illuminate the dimly lit room. And they were cruel, cold, and sharp. Papyrus shivered, his soul seeming to shrink with terror.

“P-please… don’t—”

“I’m afraid there will be no running away this time, Papyrus.” The King’s voice was oddly calm. He reached up a hand, and Papyrus tried to pull away, but the King held him firmly. “There is someone who is dying to meet you.”

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his neck, and Papyrus barely saw the King withdrawing an empty syringe, before everything turned black.

 

****

 

Edge didn’t bother knocking before entering Alphys’ lab. He marched inside, glancing around, frantically.

“Red? Brother, are you here?” There was no response, and Edge frowned, feeling anxious. “Blue?”

“E-Edge!”

Edge looked up to see Alphys trotting towards him. He narrowed his eye sockets.

“Alphys… where is my brother? And Blue?”

Alphys reached him, and paused, her clawed fingers twisting nervously together.

“Th-they’re, um… Edge—”

“Alphys,” said Edge, firmly, _“tell me where they are.”_

Alphys looked up at him, her expression taut with worry, before she nodded.

“Edge, you—you’d better follow me.”

Alphys turned, and Edge paused for a moment, frowning, before following her. She led him towards the elevator at the end of the room, which led down to the lab. Something suddenly struck Edge. Sans had kept repeating the words ‘the lab’ in his phone call. He must have meant Alphys’ secret lab. Edge paused, and Alphys turned to look at him, frowning.

“Edge, what…?”

Edge suddenly felt a faint tugging on his soul. It was far less painful than it had been the first time, but Edge immediately recognised the sensation he’d felt when Papyrus had been using his magic. Only, the pull on his own magic was a lot weaker this time, and Edge figured it was because they were so far apart. But… why was Papyrus using his magic?

Just at that moment, a phone started ringing. Edge narrowed his eye sockets. He recognised that ringtone – it was Red’s. But it was coming from Alphys’ pocket.

“Alphys, why do you have my brother’s phone?” he asked, suspicion tainting his voice. Alphys’ eyes widened.

“O-oh, I was just—just holding onto it for—”

“Give it to me, Alphys.”

“E-Edge…”

“I said _give me the phone.”_

Alphys froze for a moment, staring at Edge, before quickly scrambling to withdraw Red’s phone from the pocket of her lab coat. Edge snatched it out of her hand, and saw that the call was coming from his own phone. That meant…

“Papyrus?” he said, answering the call. He could hear Papyrus breathing heavily, and he frowned. In the background, he thought he could hear some commotion, but he couldn’t quite tell.

“E-Edge…” Papyrus’ voice was hushed, and Edge frowned. Something wasn’t right.

“Papyrus, what’s wrong?” he asked, feeling frantic. “Are you hurt? Are you—”

“H-he’s here, Edge…”

Edge’s soul went cold.

“Who? Papyrus, what are you talking about? What’s happening?”

In front of him, Alphys was looking tense, her hands in her pockets. She was shifting anxiously back and forth between her feet. Edge tried to ignore her, focusing on Papyrus. On the other end of the line, he thought he could hear another voice, but the signal was too weak to properly discern.

“He’s inside the house,” came Papyrus’ voice, so quiet, Edge could barely hear him.

“Who?” he asked, desperately. “Papyrus, _who is?”_

“Th-the King… Edge he’s—he’s here…”

Edge froze. His soul twisted in his chest, a wave of nausea passing over it. On the other end of the line, he heard a loud crash, and Papyrus’ breathing becoming frantic.

“Papyrus—”

Edge saw the flash of blue in Alphys’ hand a split-second too late. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his neck, and he dropped the phone with a gasp. He could already feel the strong effects of the nescium taking over. He tried to fight against it, urging his magic forward. But to little avail. Edge collapsed onto the ground.

“I-I’m sorry, Edge—I… I didn’t have a choice…” Alphys was staring down at him, the syringe still clutched in her claws.

“Alphys…” Edge gasped, trying to move, unable to summon his magic. “Y-you… why…” Edge vaguely saw Alphys shaking her head frantically.

“H-he threatened Undyne… I—I couldn’t… I had to…”

“But… Papyrus…” Edge’s eye sockets felt heavy. He couldn’t move.

“I’m sorry, Edge,” Alphys whispered. “He—he n-needed both of you… I had to…”

Edge couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. His vision went black, and he felt the darkness take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to end this on a cliffhanger, but I might not be able to post until the end of next week! Sadly, I have a lot of assignments and essays coming up, and I'm running out of pre-written stuff, so I might be a bit slower in posting the next few chapters.  
> Thank you all for being so patient! RIP daily updates.


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author realises she left a lot of 'revealing and explaining things' to the final scenes. Basically 5000 words of Dramatic Villain Speech!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, hello everyone! I didn't mean to post this so late, but on top of a heckton of assignments I went through a bit of writer's block :/ I rewrote this a couple of times because I wasn't happy with it, but I hope it turned out okay!

Edge could feel the bitter chill in his soul before he’d even opened his eyes.

When he did, it took a while for his vision to stop swimming. The room was blurred, and his head pounded painfully. He could tell that it was dark, the only source of light a dim, flickering bulb on the ceiling above. But the rest of the room seemed to be empty, the walls and dirty grey concrete floors. But wait, there was someone else here…

His eye sockets widened as he began to regain his vision.

Papyrus! Papyrus was here. He was in front of Edge, sitting on – or rather, tied to – a chair. There was a gag over his mouth, and his head was slumped forward onto his chest in his unconscious state. He was a couple of metres away, but even from this distance, Edge could smell the almost overwhelming sweet scent coming from the other skeleton.

Papyrus was in heat.

And judging by the strength of his aroma, he was very far along.

“Papyrus!” Edge hissed, his voice barely escaping from his chest, coming out dry and raspy. He tried to stand up but realised that he too was tied to the chair he was sitting on. He frantically tried to pull free of the ropes which fastened his wrists to the arms of the chair, but they were too tight. “Papyrus,” he whispered again, trying to alert the other skeleton to his presence, to get him to wake up. How had Papyrus gotten here?

How had _he_ gotten here?

Then, Edge remembered his phone call. The King. The King had captured him. And… Alphys…

Edge continued to struggle against the ropes around his wrists, but to little avail. He closed his eyes, attempting to summon any sort of magic to aid his escape. But nothing happened. Edge opened his eyes, frowning. He glanced down at his hands, trying again to conjure up some form of magic – but once again, he couldn’t produce anything. He growled in frustration, and began shaking at the arms of the chair.

“Hmm, I wonder how long you’re going to keep struggling until you realise your efforts are futile.”

Edge had never heard the voice before in his waking life, but somehow he immediately recognised it. His eye sockets widened, and he spun around. Alphys was standing in the corner of the room, her claws twisting together, trembling slightly. But she wasn’t the one who had spoken. In front of the door behind Edge, stood another monster. A monster Edge had never seen before, but recognised as if he’d known him his entire life.

“Gaster,” he breathed, his soul frozen in horror. The monster smiled, sending a sickly twisting feeling through Edge’s soul.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Papyrus.”

 

****

 

“Red! _Red, wake up!”_

Sans sighed, slumping back against the wall. He’d long given up on struggling against the chains around his wrists. He wasn’t sure how long it had been since Alphys had disappeared, but he figured they must’ve hit the three hour mark a while ago. Her alleged ‘replacement’ had yet to show up, and Sans wondered if she’d only said that to scare him.

All attempts to wake Red so far had been without success as well. Whatever Alphys had drugged him with, it must have been strong, because he’d barely stirred. Sans stared at him, his soul sinking in his chest. It would have been nice if he’d at least had some company these past few hours – someone to assure him that they would get out of this alive, that they would make it through. Sans tried to reach out one of his cuffed hands, to at least touch Red, so that he could feel safe. He pulled against the chains, stretching them as far as they could go. But it wasn’t enough. His fingertips hovered inches from Red’s, and he sighed in defeat, letting his hand drop again.

His wrists ached from the cold metal that was clamped around them, and he was beginning to feel tired from standing for so long. He also felt very cold, and strangely, he suddenly missed the heat he’d had in his bones a few days ago. He glanced at Red again. The rougher skeleton’s head was slumped against his chest, his gold tooth glinting in the darkness of the room.

Sans felt a cold shiver of despair running through his soul. He didn’t understand why Alphys had done this. Surely she wasn’t working alone. Unless… did this have something to do with her… experiments? Did she want to experiment on them too? Sans shuddered. And why had she wanted Sans to call Edge? To get him to the lab? Sans had tried his best to hint to Edge that they were in the secret lab in his phone call, but it had been difficult to get across any plea for help with Alphys aiming her serum-filled gun at him.

He was beginning to realise that help wasn’t coming. If Edge had deciphered his message, surely he would have found them by now? But if Edge wasn’t here, then that must mean… had Edge been captured too? Sans’ soul felt dampened. If Edge was in trouble, then things must be bad. Edge had always been such an undefeatable force. A sort of protective barrier between Sans’ brother and the real world.

Sans’ soul suddenly squeezed uncomfortably in his chest as realisation dawned on him.

If Edge had gone to the lab – which he most certainly would have, since Sans had led him to believe that Red was hurt – then that meant that Papyrus was alone. What if… what if Alphys had been trying to draw Edge away from Papyrus, to leave him unprotected? Sans could feel tears prickling at his eye sockets. He wished he’d stayed at home. He wanted nothing more than to keep his brother safe. It was his job to make sure Papyrus was okay, but he’d left him alone. What if Papyrus was hurt?

Sans stifled a sob, squeezing his eye sockets shut. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this would all go away if he just opened his eyes and realised he was asleep in his own bed. Maybe he’d be back at home, and none of this would have happened. He wouldn’t have any LOVE. Papyrus wouldn’t have tried to commit suicide, and he wouldn’t have his soul bond with Edge. He wouldn’t be so… broken. Sans wanted nothing more than to see his brother better again. To see him smile – genuinely.

And Sans wanted to see his home again too. He wanted to be able to walk through Snowdin without having to look over his shoulder every few seconds. He wanted to be able to visit Waterfall and hear the Echo Flowers whispering to each other. He wanted to see Alphys again – his Alphys, not this cold, twisted version. He wanted to visit Muffet’s, to patrol Snowdin Forest, to work on his puzzles. Stars, Sans even wanted to visit his brother at his sentry station, and pretend to be annoyed by his ridiculous puns.

The tears began to flow down his cheek bones, and he opened his eyes. But he was still here, trapped in chains, alone in a cold, dark room. In the wrong universe. He was still in Underfell. He still wasn’t home. Sans sniffed, trying to stop the tears from falling, and failing.

“B-Blue…?”

Sans’ soul flipped in surprise as he heard Red stirring. He looked up to see his counterpart lifting his head, glancing at Sans, his eye-lights still hazy and dim.

“Red!” Sans cried, trying to reach towards the other skeleton, but he was stopped by his chains. Red glanced up, eye sockets widening suddenly as they fell on the metal bindings which held Sans there. He then seemed to notice that he was in a similar predicament, and he began to struggle.

“Ugh, fuck… what happened? How did we—argh—how did we get here?” Red’s voice was still raspy, but it was beginning to regain some of its usual roughness.

“It’s no use,” Sans murmured, as Red tugged on his chains. “I’ve been trying for the past three hours.”

Red’s eye sockets widened, and he looked up at Sans. “Three hours? We’ve been here for three hours?”

Sans nodded, somberly. “Alphys brought us here.” Red frowned for a moment, before shock coloured his features.

“Alphys… Sans, those—those screens! She was spying on us! She—”

Sans was nodding. “I know, Red, I know. She—she drugged you and forced me to bring you here.”

“But—why? I don’t get it. Why would she want…?”

Sans shook his head, staring at Red, feeling himself quivering slightly. “I… I don’t know, Red. But she… she made me… call Edge. She wanted to get him to… to come to the lab, but…”

A look of horror crossed Red’s features. “E-Edge… she—she captured him too?”

“I don’t know,” Sans replied. “But it’s been three hours so…”

Red looked crestfallen. “Why—why is she doing this? Why would she want us?”

“She didn’t say. But… Red…” Sans’ voice suddenly went very small. “P-Papyrus is… he’s all alone. What if…?”

Red froze, looking worried. He was about to respond, when suddenly, the large wooden doors at the opposite end of the room creaked open. Sans felt his soul drop, as King Asgore entered the room. He was wearing black and gold armour, accompanied by a long, red cape, and he bore a sharp, crimson trident of magic in one of his hands. So this must be Alphys’ replacement, Sans thought. Asgore’s piercing eyes fell on Sans, and a small smile curled at his mouth, his fangs glinting.

“Hello, Sans.” His cold, booming voice echoed off the walls of the room, and Sans shuddered. He subconsciously reached towards Red, and a jolt went through his soul as he felt his fingertips come into contact with the other skeleton’s. He looked up to see that Red was reaching his hand out too. The sight sent a sliver of comfort through Sans’ soul, and he looked back at Asgore, trying to steel his expression.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Red growled by his side, his glare fixed on Asgore. There was a fierce determination about him, and Sans wondered how much of it was only masked fear. Asgore regarded Red with something that looked like amusement, slowly approaching the two skeletons.

“I’m here to make sure you two are ready.”

Sans frowned in confusion. “Ready for what?” he asked, trying to meet Asgore’s gaze, but finding he couldn’t keep his focus fixed on those glowing red eyes. Asgore examined him for a moment, then smiled.

“Ah, so I see you’re not so weak after all.”

“What are you…?”

“I wonder… did your brother thank you for gaining that LOVE for him?”

Sans’ soul froze. He felt that familiar pit of despair in his chest, and he hung his head, trying to hide his already tear-stained cheek bones. Red only seemed angry, a rumbling growl escaping him. “Fuck off, you—”

“I’d advise against disrespecting me, Red,” Asgore said, his tone dull. “You are the one without the ability to use magic at the moment after all.” Asgore’s fist clenched around his trident of magic in warning. Red continued to glare at Asgore, but he shut his mouth. Sans could see that he was gritting his teeth very hard. But Asgore ignored Red, turning back to Sans.

“Well, it is a shame that your heroic act was in vain. It won’t be long before your brother is dust – both of your brothers, in fact.”

Sans stared at Asgore, his soul seeming to crack in his chest. Beside him, he heard Red yanking on his chains. _“What are you talking about?”_ he hissed, crimson eye-lights flaring. _“What the fuck are you talking about?_ Tell us now!”

Asgore smirked, a dry laugh escaping him. The sound echoed eerily off the chamber walls. “Well, you needn’t worry, Red. Your brother’s death will probably be quick – perhaps even painless.” Asgore glanced at Sans, a cold smile playing onto his features. “I can’t say the same for poor, dear Papyrus though, Sans.”

“P-Papy…” Sans whispered, choking on his tears. He stared up at Asgore, no longer bothering to hide his despair. “Please—please don’t… don’t hurt him…”

Asgore chuckled, observing Sans. “Oh, I’m afraid it’s not up to me. I’m only here to make sure you two are ready.”

“Ready for what?” Red’s tone had lost much of its fire, sounding only bitter.

“Well, you two are the backups.” Asgore smiled, maliciously. “It’s a good thing you come in pairs.”

 

****

 

Edge couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. All he could do was stare. His chest felt as if it were constricting, closing in around his soul, which was frozen in a cold, empty darkness. His eye-lights fixed on Gaster, horror dawning on him. The monster before him hardly seemed to be a monster. He wasn’t… right. All around him, shadows swirled, seeming to come off him in dark, smoky waves. From what Edge could discern through the darkness that surrounded him, he was rather tall, and wore a long, billowing cloak, which was torn at the bottom. His hands were clasped in front of him, and Edge’s soul flipped in his chest as he realised they looked rather… skeleton-esque. He had long, sharpened phalanges – much like Edge’s own, in fact – only Gaster’s hands had two perfectly circular holes in them.

But what truly sent terror through Edge’s soul, was Gaster’s face. It seemed as if his mouth was twisted into a permanent smile – a cold, empty expression. His teeth were jagged, and his eye sockets were slanted and cracked, a strange red glow within them – not quite equivalent to eye-lights. Across his face, were several large cracks, from which seeped what looked like an oozing black liquid. Only, it possessed an almost vaporous quality, seeming to evaporate into the shadows around him.

There was something else that struck Edge about the dark creature before him. Every now and then, there would be a flicker, and the shadows around Gaster would disappear – as would he. It was as if he was blinking in and out of Edge’s vision, but it was so quick, he wondered if he was imagining it.

The corners of Gaster’s jagged mouth twisted into an amused smile as Edge stared at him, his icy soul thumping in his chest. “I suppose it must be rather alarming, seeing someone for the first time and wondering how it seems as if you’ve known them for a lifetime.”

Gaster’s voice felt like a thousand tiny icicles, prickling against Edge’s skull. It had a strange quality to it, as if his words didn’t contain any true substance, and Edge could only hear them inside his head. Gaster wandered towards Edge, who struggled against the bonds of his chair, his soul feeling colder the closer this shadowy monster got.

“D-don’t come near me!” Edge spat, trying to stop his voice from shaking, but failing. Gaster only shook his head, coming to stand in front of Edge, looking down at him.

“Really now, Papyrus,” he tutted, “I’ve already told you that struggling is useless.” Edge flinched away as Gaster bent down, examining him closely. “My, my, you have changed since I last saw you.” He glanced over his shoulder at Papyrus, who was still unconscious. “As has he. Although… I still recognise the babybones in him.” Gaster smiled, looking back at Edge. “You however, not so much.” His expression was almost disdainful as his gaze raked over Edge, as if taking him in. Edge shuddered, but he couldn’t stop the question that was rising in his mind.

“Who are you?” he asked, still pressed as far back onto his chair as he could go.

“I’m Gaster. I thought you knew that.”

Edge shook his head, trying not to look at the glowing crimson orbs within Gaster’s eye sockets. “No… no, I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before.” Edge squeezed his sockets shut, shaking his head. “How—how do I know who you are?”

Gaster chuckled softly, rising to stand above Edge once again. He started pacing around his chair, the swirling shadows around him flittering on the borders of Edge’s vision. “I think the real question you should be asking is – why _don’t_ you know me?”

Edge frowned, turning around, trying to keep Gaster within his line of sight. “What do you—”

“You do know me, Papyrus. In fact, you’ve known me since you were a mere babybones – you just don’t remember it.”

Edge’s soul was racing in his chest, and he shook his head.

“No, no I don’t. How could I—how could I not remember you? How could I forget…?”

Gaster was standing in front of Edge again, a vacant look on his cracked features. The shadows around him seemed to sway back and forth, as if they weren’t sure whether to stay near him, or drift away.

“It is difficult to remember someone that technically doesn’t exist,” said Gaster, his presence flickering slightly. Edge stared at him, puzzled.

“What… what do you mean?” He could feel a sense of dread creeping into his soul, mingled with confusion. “How can you… not exist?”

Gaster glanced over Edge’s shoulder for a moment. “Alphys, leave us.”

Edge turned in surprise. He’d almost forgotten that Alphys was still here. She was standing hunched, her claws fidgeting nervously. She quickly nodded, hurrying towards the door. “Oh and, fetch the… equipment,” Gaster said. “We want to be ready by the time he wakes up.” Gaster glanced at Papyrus, and Edge felt his soul stammer. Alphys’ gaze flitted anxiously between Gaster and Papyrus, before she rushed out of the room. Once she was gone, Gaster turned back to Edge, smiling again. “So, you want to understand how I’m… like this?”

“I want you to tell me what the fuck you want with us,” Edge growled. “And then, if you’re taking requests – I’d like you to fucking let us go.” Gaster laughed. The empty sound reverberated through Edge’s skull, and he shivered.

“All in good time – though unfortunately, your departure is not something I can promise.” Edge scowled, phalanges gripping onto the wooden chair. “But to understand why you are here, you must first understand me. You’ve probably noticed that I’m… not quite like other monsters.” A smile stretched across Gaster’s face, the oozing black emanating from the cracks in his bones. Edge only looked at him, trying to keep his features composed, but even now he knew he wasn’t succeeding. The fear in his soul easily outweighed his ability to remain poised. “Well,” Gaster went on, “I suppose I don’t technically classify as a real monster – seeing as I don’t have a soul.”

Gaster seemed to delight in the stunned look on Edge’s face, his smile widening as Edge barely managed to stop his jaw from dropping. “How can you not have a soul?” Edge asked, eye sockets narrowed. “You can’t—how are you… alive?”

“Well, I do have a soul – it’s just not with me.” Gaster’s gaze flitted down to Edge’s chest, and Edge felt the sudden urge to curl in on himself. “I suppose it’s sort of similar to your own soul.” Gaster turned to glance at Papyrus. “I too have lent pieces of my soul to other monsters.”

Edge froze. He suddenly couldn’t take his eyes off Papyrus. He felt a strong urge to place himself between his counterpart and this grotesque shadow of a monster standing before him. He could still smell Papyrus’ strong heat scent, and it seemed to further reinforce the protective urge within him. He glared at Gaster, straining against his bonds. The dark monster only smiled.

“Such an overwhelming sensation, isn’t it?” Gaster slowly began to stroll towards Papyrus, and Edge growled, pulling with all his strength against the tight ropes around his wrists. “To have part of your soul inside another? To be able to sense their every move, feel their emotions… draw on their strength.” Gaster was standing beside Papyrus now, and Edge was panting with the effort of pulling against his restraints.

“Get away from him!” Edge snarled. Gaster only looked amused. He reached out a single phalange and trailed it over Papyrus’ jaw. Edge shuddered at the sight.

“Although, I suppose your… bond with him isn’t quite the same as the ones I have created.” Gaster seemed to breathe in for a moment, although Edge couldn’t properly tell amidst the mass of shadows surrounding him. “Intoxicating isn’t it? The heat of a monster.” Edge felt an overwhelming nausea gripping onto his soul as Gaster leaned close to Papyrus. “And so… powerful. You see, when I give a piece of my soul to a monster, they require a lot of power to hold onto it. Otherwise… well, I suppose you can imagine what happens to a monster who cannot contain so much power within their soul.” Gaster smiled, and the nausea in Edge’s soul amplified.

“But your bond is… different,” he went on, fascination in his tone. “You saved his life, did you not?” Edge didn’t answer, only holding Gaster’s foul gaze, trying to quash the dread within himself. “So I see, the bond that you have created is so very… light.” Gaster trailed a hand over Papyrus’ chest, and Edge’s eye sockets widened.

“Don’t—don’t you fucking touch him! I will rip your foul head right off your disgusting shoulders!”

Gaster ignored Edge, resting his hand over the area of Papyrus’ chest where his soul was. Edge’s bones felt cold, and he shuddered, trying not to cringe.

“You can feel it, can’t you?” Gaster looked at Edge, curiously. “Even just the faintest touch.” Edge remained frozen in place, his icy soul thumping in his chest. Eventually, Gaster rose, drawing away from Papyrus, and Edge breathed an internal sigh of relief as the chill faded slightly. “For me, it’s different,” Gaster went on, approaching Edge once again. “I was never particularly fond of the light. My speciality has always been… darkness. _Corruption.”_

Edge stared, frozen in horror. “You…” he breathed, unable to draw his eyes away. “You’re the one who’s been… corrupting monsters. Their souls—they—”

“Well deduced, Papyrus. Truly, nothing gets past you.” Edge was tempted to scowl at Gaster’s sarcasm, but he was too stunned to react. “But yes, I have.”

“But… why?” Edge asked in bewilderment. “And _how?_ You…” Edge’s eye sockets widened in realisation, “you’ve been… been putting pieces of your soul in them. You’ve been… _bonding_ with them.”

“You’re half right,” Gaster said, striding to stand before Edge, looking down at him. “You see, when I give a monster a piece of my soul, well… it can hardly be considered a ‘bond’. To me, they’re more of a host – a source from which I can draw power, to keep me alive.” Edge’s mind flicked back to what Alphys had told them about soul bonds. How they were a means of drawing magic from another soul. He now bitterly realised how she’d known so much about it. Edge looked up at Gaster, grimacing.

“But why the corruption? Why do their souls go… dark? You still haven’t explained what’s wrong with you.”

Gaster chuckled, a sound lacking any warmth or comfort. “Well, that is the interesting part. You asked before why you don’t remember me? Well, the truth is, you did know me once… a long time ago.” Edge’s soul twisted uncomfortably as he remembered his strange dreams. Where he and Red had been… trapped. Afraid. He flinched, cringing away, as Gaster reached a hand out to his face.

“N-no, don’t…”

A shiver ran down Edge’s spin as Gaster placed a hand on his cheek bone, then ran it over the thin scar across his eye socket. He seemed almost… pensive, as if he were deep in thought.

“You always were a disobedient child,” Gaster murmured, examining Edge closely. “As was your brother. Hmm…” He observed Edge, not removing his cold hand from Edge’s face. “I see you no longer wear the collar I gave you.” Edge stared at him, frowning.

“Collar? What…” He suddenly went still. “Red’s… Red’s collar.” A wave of disgust ran over him. “You… you gave me that…?” Gaster smiled, finally drawing away.

“I did. It was meant to keep you in check, but you grew rather attached to it. It took me far too long to realise your brother had infused protective magic into it.”

Edge swallowed down the revulsion that threatened to present itself in the form of more futile threats. Red’s collar had been… his. Gaster had forced him to wear it. Edge remembered how he used to force Red to wear it, for his protection, and an uncomfortable sickness settle in his soul. He did his best to suppress it, looking back up at Gaster.

“So why don’t I remember any of it? Why don’t I remember you?”

Gaster looked strangely solemn for a moment, as if remembering something. “Did you know that I was the one who invented the Core?”

Edge frowned, confused. And irritated. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh, everything,” Gaster said, his twisted smile returning. “You see, rather unfortunately, soon after the Core was created, I died.”

Edge frowned, suddenly confused. “What? You… died? How…?”

“I fell into the Core itself,” Gaster explained. “Killed by my own experiment.”

Edge’s frown deepened. He decided, for now at least, to ignore the fact that Gaster was clearly not dead at the moment. “But… even if you died, I would still remember you.”

The crimson lights within Gaster’s eyes seemed to flicker, the shadows roiling in the air around him. “See, that’s the interesting part. As it happened, at the exact moment I died – so did my alternate selves.” Gaster looked away from Edge for a moment. “In every other universe, my soul was destroyed. And somehow, this led to an anomaly – my soul, along with the souls of my counterparts, were scattered across the void.”

“The void?” Edge asked. His fear was almost forgotten, in its place, a sense of sheer bewilderment and curiosity.

“The space between universes. The space where nothing exists, where forgotten things are.” Gaster’s cold voice sounded almost distant. “It’s easy to forget someone who doesn’t exist,” he said, looking at Edge, who did his best not to express anything. Situation aside, it was surprisingly… fascinating. And terrifying.

There were several seconds of silence, in which Edge felt he could almost hear his own soul racing in his chest. Gaster wasn’t looking at him, the glowing red lights of his eye sockets seeming unfocused, staring away from Edge.

“Alright then. So you fucking died,” Edge said, eventually. “Mind telling me how you’re standing here right now? You don’t seem very dead to me.” Edge refrained from muttering a scathing ‘unfortunately’ at the end of his sentence.

His question seemed to catch Gaster’s interest though, because he turned to Edge, smiling again. “That is a different story entirely. One which I don’t quite have time to explain at the moment. After all, I did come here with a purpose.” Gaster came to stand in front of Edge once again, leaning down so that their faces were level. “The question you should be asking, is _why_ am I here?” His gaze flickered to Papyrus, and his smile widened. “You see, Papyrus, all that time in the void made me… a little dark.”

Edge rolled his eye-lights. “Well, that’s an understatement.”

Gaster chuckled, quietly, and Edge tried not to cringe at the sound.

“Yes, indeed. My soul became warped. It is what makes it so easy for me to corrupt the souls of other monsters. I’m able to channel that darkness – that lack of empathy, compassion, light – into their souls.” Gaster paused for a moment, observing Edge. “But that’s not all that happened to me while I was trapped in the void,” he went on. “As it turned out, spending such a long time with the souls of my alternate selves, well it… connected us. The void doesn’t recognise one monster soul from another – much less thousands of tiny pieces of them. So, overtime, I began to lose my sense of which Gaster I actually was. I began to remember things that hadn’t happened to me. Feel things I didn’t remember feeling. I began to miss people I’d never met before…” Gaster glanced over his shoulder at Papyrus, and Edge frowned, realisation suddenly dawning on him.

“You… you’re the Gaster from… from _every_ universe? Combined into one… one monster.”

Gaster smiled, a sense of excitement in his expression that sent a sickening twist through Edge’s chest. “Well, technically I’m still the Gaster from this universe – from Underfell. But essentially, yes. I possess every memory of my counterparts. Including… Underswap.” Gaster rose, and began to walk towards Papyrus. Edge flinched in his seat, and began to strain against his bonds once again, even though he was now well aware that there was no use in doing so.

“But… that doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Edge said, trying to reach for a change in topic. “That doesn’t explain why you—why you corrupt innocent monsters.”

Gaster seemed to be ignoring him, stopping in front of Papyrus, and looking down at him, his gaze raking over him. The shadows around him seemed to be swirling more quickly now, swaying back and forth around his face, clouding him in darkness. He sighed, still not looking at Edge.

“The true reason for my return is a lot more complicated than you may think,” Gaster said, sounding distant. “But… I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed luring this Papyrus and his brother here.”

Edge’s soul went cold – colder than it had already been. His words seemed stuck, and he tried to swallow, hoping to alleviate the constricting feeling in his chest, surrounding his soul. “Y-you… brought them here,” he breathed, barely managing to get the words out. “How… Why would you…?”

“Well,” Gaster said, still gazing down at Papyrus, “a long time ago, in a universe known as Underswap, I was killed by one of my experiments.” Gaster crouched down beside Papyrus, running his hand over the unconscious skeleton’s cheek bone. The pieces suddenly clicked together in Edge’s mind. His soul seemed to shrink in his chest as he watched Gaster smoothing his cold hands over Papyrus’ slightly flushed face.

“You’re the one who… who…”

Gaster finally looked at Edge, his face warped with that sickly smile.

“Papyrus is the one who killed me,” he said, his hand not leaving the unconscious skeleton’s face. “And I’m here to return the favour.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a bit of an update on things.  
> I've been pretty busy recently and haven't had much time to write :'( My exams are at the beginning of next month, but after that I have a long summer break! Hooray!  
> So until then, I'll probably aim for a chapter every two weeks.  
> I have the next few written up but I'm not completely happy with them so it might take me a little longer to get them out as I keep making tweaks and adjustments.
> 
>  
> 
> (I've also been writing some other (currently unpublished) Spicyhoney stuff because I have no self control and needed a break from all this angst aaahhh)


	61. An update (not really)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update on what's been going on with this fic--and future plans for it.

Hey all. I just want to start by saying I'm very sorry it's been so long since I updated this fic (especially since the last chapter kind of ended on a cliffhanger aaah), but I've been struggling with it a bit.

Unfortunately, I can't boil it all down to the fact that I've been pretty busy with exams and whatnot, because I've been having trouble writing the next couple of chapters for a while. Basically, I know exactly where I want to go in terms of plot, but every time I try to write it, it just comes out really bleh.

So.

What I'm probably going to do is put this fic on temporary hiatus - I definitely have no intentions of abandoning it, I still have a fair bit planned for the plot - and I'm going to work on getting through all my other WIPs and stuff before coming back to it. Hopefully by that time, my brain will have learnt how to "put. thought. into. word". Honestly, I think I really need to stop coming up with random new ideas before finishing off old ones.

But until then, I'm just going to be working on finishing and posting the other stuff I've been working on - most of it is Spicyhoney, but there are some other things thrown in as well. I'm not sure exactly how long that will take, but it could still be a couple of months until I get round to working on this fic again. I'm really sorry to anyone who has been waiting on the next update--and especially for leaving it on a cliffhanger! 

Thank you all for your patience. I guess Edge and Papyrus are just going to have to hang out in Gaster's creepy lab for a little longer while the author sorts her shit out. Sorry, my precious skellies!

 **EDIT: I apologise, everyone. This work is officially abandoned.**  
If you're desperate to know what the outcome would have been, I'm happy to provide a short synopsis, but.... I'm afraid it's not getting written. Sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to visit me on tumblr for fic updates and skeleton trash: [@alicedragons](https://alicedragons.tumblr.com/) (Warning: it is NSFW, so please don't follow if you're under 18!)


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